Kate Middleton channeled her late mother-in-law’s style as she attended Royal Ascot today – in an outfit almost identical to that worn by Princess Diana 34 years ago.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, looked effortless as she arrived with her husband Prince William, 39, in the traditional carriage procession for day four of the Berkshire Races.
She wore a £1,970 polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich which almost perfectly mirrors a dress worn by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana at Ascot in June 1988.
Kate even opted for a tall, flat top hat, as Diana had done at the same event three decades earlier.
The Duchess of Cambridge also paid homage to her husband’s mother by wearing a pair of opulent diamond and pearl earrings that had once belonged to Diana.
It was the second time Kate wore the accessories, having worn them on the red carpet while attending the 2019 BAFTAs.
The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana today, wearing a £1,970 Alessandra Rich polka dot dress (left). Princess Diana wore a fitted white polka dot dress and white hat at Royal Ascot in 1988 (Right)
The Duchess wore a pair of opulent diamond and pearl earrings that had once belonged to Diana. Left: Diana in the earrings at the Victor Chang Research Institute Dinner Dance during her visit to Sydney in 1996
The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, looked effortless as she arrived with her husband Prince William, 39, in the traditional procession of carriages on day four of the Berkshire Races
The mother-of-three previously wore the jewelry given to William and Harry to the BAFTAs in 2019. They feature a double curve of different diamond cuts with a dangling pearl.
Diana wore the earrings on various occasions, including a 1990 banquet for the Japanese Emperor Akihito – and a 1994 gala at the Palace of Versailles.
The sweet nod to Diana came as the Cambridges attended Royal Ascot for the first time since 2019.
The Queen has two horses walking today, but given her ongoing mobility issues, she didn’t join her family members who stepped out for the occasion – including Peter Phillips and his girlfriend Lindsay Wallace, who attended a series of events with the monarch’s grandson over the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
Kate Middleton (left) channeled her late mother-in-law’s style as she attended Royal Ascot today – in an outfit almost identical to what Princess Diana wore 34 years ago (right).
Kate even opted for a tall, flat top hat, as Diana had done at the same event three decades earlier. Pictured above: Princess Diana in June 1988
The Duchess of Cambridge also paid homage to her husband’s mother by wearing a pair of opulent diamond and pearl earrings that had once belonged to Diana
The Diana reference came as the Cambridges attended Royal Ascot for the first time since 2019
With temperatures expected to reach 31°C (87.8°F) but feel hotter, organizers have announced that dress codes will not be enforced in all enclosures and male participants will be allowed to remove jackets and ties.
Guests dusted off their finery and pulled out all the stops as they arrived at the lavish racing event, opting to wear a colorful array of dresses, exaggerated headpieces and shimmering jewellery.
Royal Ascot, regarded by many as the calendar highlight of the UK summer season, has finally returned to its former pre-pandemic glory – with attendees unhampered by Covid restrictions and encouraged to go all out with the tailoring.
Indeed, this year’s published style guide for the event, the eleventh of its kind, calls for formality to remain in the royal enclosure – but suggests a more relaxed approach elsewhere, suggesting that lavish occasion wear will be positively encouraged in 2022.
Today’s catwalk featured monochromatic dresses, fuchsia accents and floating sundresses in yellow and green.
Kate previously wore her late mother-in-law’s earrings to the 2019 BAFTA Awards