Meghan Markle Wears a Minimal Version of the Princess Gown in Jamaica

Meghan Markle took the familiar silhouette of your traditional princess gown and stripped it down to its bare necessities on Tuesday night. The Duchess of Sussex popped up in Kingston, Jamaica last night alongside her husbandm Prince Harry, to make a surprise appearance at the world premiere of the upcoming Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love.

For the occasion, the Duchess opted for a voluminous skirt from Carolina Herrera in a size and shape perfect for your average Disney heroine. But instead of piling on jewelry, eboridery, and, say, an exaggerated shoulder, Markle kept things simple. (Stealth Royalty, perhaps?) Instead, she paired the skirt with a minimal spaghetti-strap top. Jewelry was also kept low-key: just a few rings, and circular gold earrings. Her hair was swept back into a no-frills chignon, and clearly she had her makeup artist stick to the “no-makeup makeup” brief.

Markle’s never been the most over-the-top dresser, and yet it was almost refreshing to see an actual royal in something so minimally elegant.

It was just as much of a surprise as any new Sussex spotting at all. Meghan and Harry have kept their public appearances few and far between since stepping back from full-time royal status and moving to America. There was no official explanation for their appearance on Tuesday, either. Perhaps their Hollywood connections might explain it.

The couple posed on the red carpet alongside Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins (who, interestingly, also once directed the films Norbit and Good Burger) and his wife, the fashion designer Tracy James Robbins.

The Sussex’s Archewell production company officially has a deal with Netflix, so the sighting has set off some speculation about their next Hollywood move.

Tinseltown intrigue aside, the Sussexes are still technically royalty, and Jamaica is part of the British Commonwealth. The pair also posed with the country’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife, Juliet.