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It's no secret that Meghan Markle is a style icon.

Wherever she goes, whatever she wears, people want to dress just like the duchess.

And even now, during her pregnancy, the expectant mother is turning heads in stylish ensembles and some daring dresses.

When she first became a royal, Meghan, 37 was seen wearing some mid-length dresses, presumably to adhere to royal tradition and look smart at public engagements.

However since announcing her pregnancy, the Duchess of Sussex has surprised many people by stepping out in a lot of shorter skirts - and there could be an interesting reason why.

Personal stylist Keren Beaumont told Yahoo Style UK she thinks it's a strategic way of maternity dressing - and that Meghan's sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, also took a similar approach.

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She said: "When a woman becomes pregnant and sees her body shape evolving, this can often call for a change in her usual formula for dressing.

"In addition to a shape change, many pregnant women experience physical discomfort when wearing tight fitting garments around their middle area.

"A naturally slim woman such as Meghan or Kate who would normally wear form fitting silhouettes suddenly finds herself in a situation where she needs to wear slightly roomier shapes around her middle."

Keren added: "Being in the public eye, these women will still be very conscious of wanting to look great, so they will offset these larger silhouettes by making the most of the assets that don’t change as much in pregnancy, especially their legs in the case of the two ladies in question.

“Both are blessed with long slim legs which are showcased beautifully in higher hemlines.”

However it seems the Duchess of Sussex might be in hot water for her decision to wear shorter outfits.

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According to reports, Meghan has been told she needs to start dressing more like a royal and less like a Hollywood star.

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Although she is said to have a good relationship with the Queen, some of her outfit choices are thought to have raised eyebrows - including her Givenchy wedding gown.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Evewoman.co.ke