Kate Middleton recreated Princess Diana’s classic look
Kate Middleton wore a pair of sentimental earrings gifted to her by Prince William while out on a royal visit earlier this week. The Princess of Wales gave a masterclass in monochrome dressing during her busy day of engagements at RAF Coningsby on Thursday. As Middleton met young recruits and toured a rapid response fighter jet in her role as honorary Royal Air Commodore of the station, she showed off an outfit that bore a striking resemblance to one of Princess Diana’s most iconic looks.
Middleton chose to wear a set of ruby and diamond drop earrings, which looked remarkably similar to a pair of earrings owned by Princess Diana. The late Princess of Wales often wore her ruby and diamond cabochon earrings to royal events, and wore them as double drops and studs over the years. Her travels included a trip to Japan in 1986 and a visit to New York in 1995, when she paired the earrings with a matching ruby necklace. Jewelry has become a signature piece in the princess’s collection.
Perhaps that’s why Prince William gifted his future wife a similar pair for their wedding in 2011 – a touching gift, especially considering how much Middleton appreciates The symbolic meaning of her earrings. Whether it was her Wimbledon debut with earrings in 2011, a trip to a pottery factory in Stoke-on-Trent during her pregnancy in 2015, or a visit to Dundee for the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2019, the Princess of Wales has cherished jewelery throughout her royal career.
This wasn’t the only gesture Middleton gave her mother-in-law during the outing. Wearing a gray Bella Freud suit (with a Prince of Wales check pattern that may have been a nod to her husband, Prince William), Middleton continued to channel one of her royal favorites. She had previously chosen the suit for an outing to a textile manufacturer. But that may not be the only reason the outfit looked familiar. After all, the Princess of Wales appears to have taken her style inspiration from Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana.
On a trip to Paddington Station in honor of the Red Cross on 3 May 1988, the then Princess of Wales wore a Catherine Walker suit, also cut from the Prince of Wales’ check pattern. While this number was navy blue, and paired with a white satin turtleneck instead of Middleton’s choice of a gray blazer, the similarity between the two royal women’s wardrobes is uncanny.