- Jill Biden wore her opening gown to send a message of unity across the United States.
- The First Lady’s dress was adorned with flowers from every state in the United States.
- She may have been inspired by Meghan Markle, whose wedding veil was embroidered with Commonwealth flowers.
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Jill Biden wore a dress that may have been inspired by Meghan Markle’s wedding veil on her first night at the White House.
Biden combined a dress with floral embroidery with a coat of Gabriela Hearst ivory and matching gloves for her appearance at the opening show on Wednesday. The dress was adorned with federal flowers from all states and territories in the country and is believed to have been chosen to symbolize unity in the United States.
Read More: Jill Biden wore a dress adorned with flowers from all US states and territories for the Opening Concert
It is possible that the First Lady was inspired by the Duchess of Sussex, who used her wedding veil to send a message of unity between the monarchy and the Community in 2018.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day.
Ben STANSALL – WPA Pool / Getty Images
Markle’s veil was embroidered with national flowers from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries.
The look symbolized the old role of the Duchess within the royal family. She became a representative of the Queen – who is head of the Commonwealth – when she married the Duke of Sussex.
“We understand how important this is to us, the role we play and the work we will continue to do in the British Commonwealth countries,” said the duchess about the veil in a documentary released after the wedding.
The duchess’s veil from behind.
Ben Stansall – WPA Pool / Getty Images
The veil was also embroidered with a California poppy to represent the former actress’ home state.
Read More: A woman who helped make Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle’s wedding dresses said that Princess Diana’s iconic dress “looked like it needed to be ironed
The Bidens have a close friendship with Prince Harry
Although it is not known whether Biden has ever met Markle, his friendship with the Duchess’s husband has been widely documented over the years.
She was photographed meeting Prince Harry in 2012, during a reception for wounded soldiers at the British Embassy in Washington, DC.
Jill Biden and Prince Harry in 2012.
Olivier Douliery / PA Images via Getty Images
In the years that followed, the duo made several public appearances together, most typically at the Prince’s Invictus Games. Both Jill and Joe Biden are longtime supporters of the sports tournament for the wounded or injured, which Harry founded in 2014.
Read More: 11 photos show that Prince Harry’s friendship with Joe Biden is nothing like his relationship with Trump
The then vice president later joked that he was “concerned” about how much time Harry and Jill were spending together.
“I read it at the Guardian, or one of them, and it says – I’m paraphrasing – everywhere Prince Harry went, he had a blonde woman on his arm. The vice president’s wife! I’m a little worried here, you know what I mean?” he told The Guardian.
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