How Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton paid tribute to Princess Diana with fashion: 7 times the duchesses of Sussex and Cambridge mirrored the Princess of Wales’ sense of style

Jul 1 , 2021

Whether intentional or by coincidence, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have mirrored Princess Diana’s outfits several times over the years. Photos: Reuters, @princessdianaremembered/Instagram; Getty Images, EPA-EFE

For an event at Royal Albert Hall – mentioned in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview – Meghan wore a sequinned dress reminiscent of Diana’s Diamond Ball look

A statue of Diana will be unveiled at Kensington Palace on July 1 in a ceremony that will reunite brothers Prince William and Prince Harry

A statue commemorating the late Princess Diana will be revealed on July 1 – the date that would have been Diana’s 60th birthday – in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.

Due to the current Covid-19 situation and social distancing restrictions in the UK, Buckingham Palace announced that only a small group of attendees will witness the unveiling: Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry; the statue’s sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley; and garden designer Pip Morrison. It will also be the first time the now allegedly estranged brothers will convene after the funeral of the late Prince Philip in April.

The attendance of Diana’s two would-be daughter-in-laws, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, has not been confirmed. Although neither was able to meet the late Princess of Wales, both Meghan and Kate have shown their respect to their late mother-in-law throughout the years, from statements in interviews to more subtle homages, such as the watches, jewellery and fashion pieces they chose to wear.

Despite living in different eras with different styles – think Diana’s recognisable 80s power fashion to today’s more modern and softened silhouettes – the two generations of style icons have shared some very similar looks over the years.

Be it coincidence or a deliberate homage, here’s a look at when Kate and Meghan dressed just like Diana.

Meghan Markle

Princess Diana in a black and white look. Photo: AP Photo

Diana wore this black and white saucer hat during a few occasions, including in 1986 when meeting Queen Sofia of Spain at Heathrow Airport in London.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth attend day one of the Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in June 2018. Photo: Indigo/Getty Images

At Meghan’s Royal Ascot debut, she wore a hat by millinery designer Philip Treacy – who is also one of Kate Middleton’s favourite hat designers – which was reminiscent of Princess Diana’s.

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