Why Meghan’s skirts are getting shorter

When Meghan Markle joined the royal family earlier this year she was quick to follow the Queen's rules on dressing for public engagements by wearing longer dresses and pantyhose.

But since becoming pregnant the Duchess of Sussex's hemlines are getting shorter as she opts for more and more outfits that show her knees and even (gasp) her thighs.

So could it be an act of royal rebellion? Not likely, says one fashion expert.

Stylist Keren Beaumont told Yahoo Style UK the 37-year-old was following one of the golden rules of maternity style - keep your hemlines short and wear looser outfits for greater comfort.

"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," Ms Beaumont explained.

Meghan is slowly swapping the longer more tailored outfits she wore before getting pregnant for shorter and looser dresses. Picture: Yui Mok

"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."

Ms Beaumont pointed out that both Meghan and Kate have slim legs and have sought to draw attention to them as their bump grows.

Meghan Markle at a Hollywood event in 2016. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez

It's a rule the Duchess of Cambridge has followed since her first pregnancy with Prince George.

Photos show Kate's hemlines getting shorter and shorter in the months before she gave birth to all three of her children.

For Meghan, a shorter hemline is sure to be a welcome return to her Hollywood style, with the petite former actor favouring above the knee outfits prior to her relationship with Prince Harry.