Since joining the royal family, we’ve seen Meghan Markle‘s style evolve from American actress to Duchess of Sussex. The 37-year-old has swapped short hemlines for pantyhose and messy buns for sleek up-dos, but one thing that’s remained consistent is her footwear.
Since her engagement to Prince Harry, we haven’t seen the Duchess in anything but high heels or heeled boots, despite often attending events on uneven terrain and when walking for long periods is required.
But while Down Under, one day after announcing her pregnancy, Meghan Markle did the unthinkable: swapping her nude pumps for a pair of black flat shoes by Rothy’s.
The pointed toe flat retails for just $203 AUD and, surprisingly, the style hasn’t yet sold out on the brand’s website.
Two days later, while visiting a beach in South Melbourne, the Duchess donned the exact same pair of flats for a second time. She also opted to wear the same trench coat by Melbourne-born designer Martin Grant, proving she’s just as much a fan of recycling looks as her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
However, we wouldn’t get too used to seeing the mother-to-be sans heels. Meghan reportedly opts to wear high shoes due to her height difference with Harry: Meghan stands at 5ft 6in, while Harry towers over her at 6ft 1in – seven inches taller.
“Couples with a big height difference look slightly unbalanced in pictures, and often the smaller of the two ends up looking even smaller and is constantly looking up at their partner,” celebrity photographer Glenn Gratton told MailOnline.
“In the case of Harry and Meghan, she will be wearing high heels to maximise her height and shorten the gap if possible.”
Case in point, Meghan’s outfit in Dubbo: a checked blazer, black jeans and – you guessed it – heeled boots.
This article originally appeared on InStyle Australia