Meghan Markle Masters Understated Elegance in a Strapless Oscar de la Renta Dress at the Paley Honors Gala

Shortly after Prince Harry shut down divorce rumors in New York City, his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped out in Beverly Hills for a rare red carpet appearance at the Paley Honors Gala honoring her friend, Tyler Perry. For the occasion, the Duchess of Sussex exuded easy elegance in a black strapless gown by Oscar de la Renta, Celine heels, and a lot of diamonds, including a custom Logan Hollowell necklace, Cartier Love necklace, and Lorraine Schwartz and Engender rings, per Hello!.

Perry is the godfather of Meghan and Harry’s daughter, Lili. He spoke in the couple’s Netflix documentary series about how they first became friends. (He let them stay in his house when they first moved to the U.S.)

“You know I’m not a royal watcher. I don’t really pay attention to a lot of stuff, but I saw something about her father [and the drama with him leading up to the royal wedding],” he said. “I found it to be hurtful if he were my father. And I couldn’t even imagine this woman finding the man that she loved, the man of her dreams and him being a prince, and then to walk into all of that madness and need the security of family and then have, you know, your father do some horrible things.

“When my life changed and success started to come, family members became different people. And I know how hurtful and how horrible it can be,” he continued. “I immediately empathized with her. This was before the wedding, and I sent her a note, just praying for her to just be able to move through it and hold on, and let her know that everything in her life had prepared her for this moment or so I thought.” They later became close friends.

“We’ll call and we’ll chat and we’ll talk about silly things,” Perry said of their relationship. But when Harry and Meghan called to ask about Lili, “they were pretty serious on the phone. I go, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ And they said, ‘Well, we’d like for you to be Lili’s godfather.’ I go, ‘Whoa.’ I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, ‘I’d be honored. I’d be absolutely honored.’”