Meghan Markle has confirmed what fashion insiders were already whispering: yes, she did invite herself to Paris Fashion Week. The Duchess of Sussex openly acknowledged the move after Balenciaga and Valentino designer Pierpaolo Piccioli revealed she personally reached out asking to attend his show.

Meghan Markle on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.Malick Bodian

Meghan Markle on the cover of the magazine’s December 2025/January 2026 Art Issue.

Meghan Markle at the Balenciaga fashion show during Paris fashion week on Oct. 4.Best Image / BACKGRID

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in the trailer for her Netflix holiday special.Netflix

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in a newly published interview, the 44-year-old said the invitation came about simply because she wanted to support a longtime friend:

“I was excited for him. I reached out and I said, ‘Happy to come and support you.’ We kept it a secret, and it was really fun.”

Piccioli echoed the sentiment in his own remarks to The Cut, saying the duchess contacted him directly:

“Meghan and I met some years ago, and we’ve been texting ever since. She reached out and said she’d love to come to the show.”
“There was no strategy or big orchestration… I didn’t tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise. In fashion, real surprises are rare, and this one was beautiful.”

Markle, who has balanced Hollywood, philanthropy, motherhood and entrepreneurship since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, said she embraces the flexibility of her life now. She relishes being able to switch between front-row glamour and hands-on parenting with ease:

“I love being able to do both — to play in the sandbox with my kids and to play in the front row at a show. The moment you start making your personal decisions based on external judgment, you lose your authenticity.”

Meghan shares two children — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — with Prince Harry, 41. She described her husband as her greatest source of unwavering support:

“He loves me so boldly, fully… No one in the world loves me more than him. He always has my back.”

She also spoke about Harry’s childlike joy and playfulness, which she said has influenced every part of their life together, including business decisions — pushing her to approach work with more creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment.

Meghan Markle and Balenciaga director Pierpaolo Piccioli at Paris fashion week.@saintleon/TikTok

Balancing work and motherhood

Meghan revealed that her home office sits right next to the kitchen, allowing her to juggle meetings and motherhood fluidly. At times, Lilibet will crawl onto her lap during calls, whether she’s reviewing profit and loss sheets for her lifestyle brand or brainstorming creative ideas.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their kids, celebrating Lilibet’s birthday at Disneyland.meghan/Instagram

She hopes her children witness the value of courage and grit:

“They saw it when the jam was just a pot on the stove, bubbling… Kids are fearless. As we get older, we lose some of that.”
“I was always an old soul. My mom says I was born that way.”

“How you show up in one place is how you show up everywhere”

Markle said her commitment to hard work extends to every area of her life — from business to parenting to planning potlucks at her children’s school. She emphasized that even as a founder, she reminds herself that perfection is not the goal:

“There’s no such thing as perfect. I get to make mistakes too. And honestly, there’s not a lot of fun in trying to be perfect.”

Serena Williams praises her longtime friend

Her close friend Serena Williams, 44, also spoke to Harper’s Bazaar, sharing why their bond has lasted so long:

“We love a good mimosa. We can talk for a hundred hours… We never stop smiling.”
“We both have a dry sense of humor. That’s why we hit it off at this silly football thing years ago. Apparently we were meant to meet — and we’ve been lifelong friends ever since.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party on Nov. 8.The Hollywood JR / BACKGRID

Meghan Markle arriving at Sugaar restaurant in Paris during fashion week.Best Image / BACKGRID

To top off the day of headlines, Meghan also released the trailer for her upcoming Netflix holiday special, “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” signaling yet another project in her growing media portfolio.

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Sources (New York Post, Harper’s Bazaar, The Cut)