Meghan Markle Visits Oceania Exhibit Without Prince Harry at Royal Academy in London Photos

The Duchess of Sussex Opens 'Oceania' At The Royal Academy Of Arts

(Image credit: Chris Jackson)

published 25 September 2018

Just one day after competing in a flirty basketball competition (opens in new tab) with Prince Harry at the Coach Core awards, Meghan Markle is embarking on her first solo engagement (opens in new tab) to the Royal Academy's Oceania exhibit ahead of her and Harry's royal tour next month.

Meghan has attended an event without Prince Harry before, but she was accompanied by the Queen (opens in new tab). This time, it's solely the Duchess of Sussex previewing exhibits from regions like New Zealand, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Australia where she and Harry will visit in October (opens in new tab). The royal couple will be away from Kensington Palace for a couple weeks—starting in Australia on October 16th and ending in New Zealand on Halloween.

For today's exhibit, the Duchess ditched her signature curls again and dressed in an elegant black Givenchy dress (opens in new tab)—the same designer (opens in new tab) who created Meghan's wedding gown—and Aquazzura black bow pumps. Yesterday, she also wore her hair straight and played basketball in a navy Oscar de la Renta top, black Altuzarra pants, and black stilettos (opens in new tab). A woman of many talents, really.

Liking the heels 👠 #Meghan @royalacademy #Oceania pic.twitter.com/OSzGn22CJ2September 25, 2018

The Royal Academy's Oceania exhibit (opens in new tab), which will run from September 29-December 10 in London, will "bring together around 200 exceptional works from public collections worldwide, and span over 500 years. The exhibition draws from rich historic ethnographic collections dating from the 18th century to the present, and includes seminal works produced by contemporary artists exploring history, identity, and climate change."

This visit will definitely help Meghan prepare for her trip (opens in new tab), which will specifically focus on environmental and conservation efforts along with youth leadership, and the recovery and rehabilitation of servicemen and women through the 2018 Invictus Games.

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.