30 Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana

Meghan Markle has worn Princess Diana’s jewels to pay tribute to her late mother-in-law sartorially, but the Duchess of Sussex has also channeled some of Diana’s iconic looks in the

Green Coats With Dark Detailing

Diana in a Bellville Sassoon coat and a hat designed by John Boyd during her visit to Bristol on March 29, 1982; Meghan in an Erdem coat and dress during her visit to Canada House on March 11, 2019.

Light High Neck Gowns

Princess Diana in a white and light blue gown, attending a reception at Spencer House in London on May 6, 1992; Meghan Markle leaving for her second wedding reception in a Stella McCartney gown on May 19, 2018. Meghan wore Diana’s aquamarine ring with it.

Pink Buttoned Tops

Princess Diana in a pink skirt suit in Argentina during an official visit on November 24, 1995; Meghan Markle is in a refined tailored pale pink Prada suit dress she wore to Queen Elizabeth II’s Young Leader Awards.

Grey Plaid

Princess Diana in a patterned grey blazer with a white turtleneck at London’s Paddington Station on May 3, 1988; Meghan in a Theory off-the-shoulder jacket while visiting Cardiff Castle on January 18, 2018.

Purple and Red Outfits

Diana in a purple hat with a red ribbon, red cropped jacket, white blouse, and purple skirt during her official visit to Hong Kong on November 7, 1989; Meghan in a bright red coat by Sentaler and a Babaton by Aritzia purple dress during her visit to Birkenhead with Prince Harry on January 14, 2019

Pinstripes

Diana in white blazer with black stripes and buttons during a walkabout in Sheffield and Rotherham on July 16, 1991; Meghan in a pinstriped Altuzarra dress with a Camilla and Marc blazer at the Commonwealth Youth Forum on April 18, 2018.

Black Suits

Diana in a Jasper Conran trouser suit and white ruffled blouse during a gala at the Expo 86 Theatre on May 3, 1986; Meghan in a bespoke Givenchy suit set with a Lavender Hill boat t-shirt during her and Harry’s visit to Ireland on July 11, 2018.

White Outfits With Black Accents

Diana in a white top with black accents and matching hat at the Royal Ascot on June 18, 1985; Meghan in a Givenchy dress with a black belt and matching Philip Treacy hat at the Royal Ascot on June 18, 2018

Black Collared Tops

Diana in a black coat dress and commemorative red poppy pin during the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on November 1, 1984; Meghan in bespoke Emilia Wickstead, a Philip Treacy hat, and red poppy pin during the Anzac Day Westminster Abbey service on April 25, 2018

White Button-Ups and Jeans

Diana in a white button-up shirt, brown belt, and high-waist jeans during her visit to Bosnia on August 9, 1997; Meghan in a Misha Nonoo button-up and Mother Denim jeans, making her first appearance with Harry at the Toronto Invictus Games on September 25, 2017.

Green Tartan

Diana in a collared green tartan dress at the Bute Highland Games in Scotland on August 22, 1987; Meghan in a double-breasted Burberry tartan coat during her visit to Scotland on February 13, 2018.

A Chic White Coat

A white coat makes a statement, which Diana proved with this Versace design that she wore in January 1996; Meghan has worn a white coat on more than one occasion. The first was when she and Prince Harry announced their engagement to the world, and the second was to attend Commonwealth Day services with Prince Harry in March 2018, where she kind of twinned with Kate Middleton, too!

A Periwinkle Floral Tunic

During her trip to Saudi Arabia in November 1986, Diana chose this purple/blue floral tunic to wear over a white pair of pants; This Oscar de la Renta dress is almost an exact carbon copy for Diana’s tunic. Meghan wore it in June 2018 to her first royal wedding (that she attended as a guest, obvi). And she also re-wore her wedding reception shoes!

A Long-Sleeved, Lacy, Navy Dress

Princess Diana + sparkly clothing was a winning combination, and she made this dress even more of a standout when she combined it with a thick pearl necklace while attending the opera in February, 1996; Back before Meghan even met Harry, she wore a short, navy lace dress to an event in February 2012. Foreshadowing!!

A Red V-Neck Dress

Diana knew how to pick an evening gown, and this red silk dress that she wore to a film premiere in September 1992 was a prime example; Pre-engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan wore this bright red gown to a taping of the Today show in July 2016, possibly hinting that she knew she’d be related to Diana one day. I mean, right?!

Glamorous Off-The-Should Blush Pink

The blush pink Carolina Herrera dress that Meghan wore to Trooping the Colour immediately reminded us of Diana’s off-the-shoulder look for a night out at the Royal Ballet in Germany in 1987; Meghan wore a similar number for her first ever Trooping the Colour (the Queen’s birthday celebration) on June 9, 2018. It was her second post-wedding appearance, and she accessorized the custom Carolina Herrera dress with a Philip Treacy hat.

In an LBD With Hip Detailing

Ever heard of a “revenge dress?” While her ex-husband, Prince Charles, was admitting on national television that he had cheated on her, Princess Diana was busy having a good time in this short, black number. This was in June 1994, btw; For the London Global Gift Gala in November 2013, Meghan wore this strapless black dress, which also had detailing around the left hip, just like Diana’s.

A Classic Beret

Royal women know the value of a good hat. Diana once wore a beret to the Braemar Highland Games, while Meghan wore a white version of the statement accessory at the Commonwealth Day service in London just weeks before her wedding to Prince Harry.

A Navy Belted Dress

Diana wore a sleek navy blue dress while visiting the Tashinkaya Hospital in Moscow in 1995. Meghan chose a similar look while attending a polo match in Windsor.

A Triangular Pattern

In 1986, Princess Diana wore this navy blue and white dress while visiting Saudi Arabia. Meghan wore a modern design with a similar pattern while on her first solo engagement as a royal, at the opening of an art exhibition.

A voluminous cerulean blue coat

Diana was famous for her expressive blue eyes and often mirrored their color in her clothing choices. In 1988, she paired this oversized, double-breasted, cerulean blue coat with a matching pillbox hat. Meghan Markle, who usually seems more partial to navy blue, channeled her late mother-in-law by wearing an oversized cerulean coat in October 2018 at for the launch of a cookbook whose proceeds go to charity.

A Sparkly Blue Dress

In December 1990, Diana brought the drama to the The Diamond Ball with this eye-catching sequin Catherine Walker dress; Almost 30 years later, Meghan wore her iteration of the glittering Roland Mouret evening gown to a Cirque du Soleil performance in January 2019. Ugh, love when the royals make a fashion statement!

Black Tie Affair

People were in awe of Meghan when she wore the one sleeve Givenchy black gown at the Fashion Awards on Dec. 10, 2018. However, Diana also wore a sophisticated Emanuel creation for her first official engagement with Prince Charles on March 15, 1982.

Beautiful in Blue

Meghan turned heads in a stunning blue caped Safiyaa gown for a state dinner while in Fiji. Diana also stepped in an equally elegant blue-hued Catherine Walker look when she attended the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom premiere in 1984.

Casual in Blue

Beautiful in a blueberry tone was Meghan when she attended the unveiling of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy in October of 2018. The t-shirt dress with belt was reminiscent of the one the late Diana wore during a memorial service in July of 1982.

Bold Blue Prints

The two also fashionably rocked blue printed dresses. Meghan wore a maxi dress during her visit with King Mohammed VI of Morocco in Feb. 25, while Diana wowed in a one-sleeve frock when attending a banquet in London in Nov. 1982.

Statement Styles

While they might not be wearing the same color, the Duchess and Princess wore the same combination during royal outings. Meghan wore her black-and-white combo at the Endeavour Fund awards on Feb. 7, 2019, while Diana was spotted in the pink-and-white look at a Swan Lake performance in London in 1984.

In Camel Separates

Camel = classic, which Diana proved here in a jacket/skirt combo situation in November 1982. Look at that smile! She’s like, “yes, I know, my outfit is divine”; For Christmas services with the Queen, Meghan wore an updated version of Diana’s outfit, complete with a camel coat, brown suede boots, a brown fascinator, brown leather gloves, and a brown leather purse. Now *that* is commitment to a theme. This whole outfit cost more than $10,000, in case you were curious!

Remembrance Day

The two wore almost the same exact outfit on Remembrance Day. Lady D wore the somber ensemble on Nov. 1, 1984, while Meghan donned the dark look on Nov. 11, 2018.

A Camel Coat

Meghan Markle on Christmas Day 2017. Princess of Wales in Hamburg 1987

At first glance this fur-trimmed Arabella Pollen coat worn by the Princess of Wales on a visit to a department store in Hamburg in 1987 is not something that ethically-conscious Meghan would go near, but at second glance the animal additions are fake.

Perhaps that’s why the Duchess of Sussex paid tribute to the tonal look at her first Royal Christmas mass last year.

At Sandringham, Megan curtsied to the Queen wearing a tan coat from Canadian label Sentaler, Stuart Weitzman suede boots and a striking hat from Irish milliner Philip Treacy.

White Hat and White Coat

Meghan, alongside the rest of the royal family, attended the Commomwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on 12th March.

And her regal outfit certainly caught the attention of viewers, as she opted for a stylish, tailored white coat and sophisticated blue dress.

Button-down dresses

Even though Princess Diana chose to wear a hat, she looks almost identical to Meghan Markle. Both dresses are cream colored, have buttons down the front, and a belt at the waist.This is the one royal fashion rule you’ll never see a British royal break.

Green prints

Princess Diana and Meghan Markle pop in these green patterned dresses. Meghan is pictured here at the Invictus Games Reception and Diana on a royal tour in Saudi Arabia.

One-shoulder dress

Once her marriage to Prince Charles had gone kaput, the Princess of Wales took to making style choices that would have seemed inconceivable as a royal—including this one-shoulder dress (worn to a 1996 charity ball in Sydney, Australia). Although Meghan’s clearly a fan of the look, which she’s rocking in this 2013 photo taken at the American Ballet Theater Opening Night Gala in New York City, the jury’s still out on whether she’ll try to pull it off now that she’s married to Prince Harry. Here are the tiny details you might have missed about Harry and Meghan’s wedding.

Little white dress

In 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales wore a tiny white slipdress to Christie’s in London, where many of her dresses were being auctioned for charity. Meghan channels the same look in October 2018—but with a bit more of the modesty required of a royal. In addition to modesty, there are plenty of other royal etiquette rules Meghan is supposed to follow.

Ethnic-styled clothing

It’s now known that the love of Diana’s life was the Pakistani-born cardio-surgeon, Hasnat Khan, MD. When Diana visited Khan’s native country, she did her best to blend in with the locals by wearing their traditional clothing, as shown here in 1997. Meghan takes a page out of her late mother-in-law’s fashion rulebook by stepping out in this colorful ethnic print by New York City designer, Figue, on a trip to Fiji in October 2018. Here’s everything you probably don’t know about Hasnat Khan.

Sunshine yellow

You know who loves wearing sunshine yellow? Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Considering that a standard fashion rule is “dress like you wish to be treated,” it’s no surprise both Princess Diana and Duchess Meghan dressed in sunshine yellow early on in their marriages—Diana in 1983, and Meghan in July 2018. Here’s a color you’ll likely never see the Duchess of Sussex wearing, and what it has to do with the Queen.

Equestrian styling

Princess Diana pulled off the equestrian style so incredibly well back in December 1986 (photographed while dropping a young Prince William off at school) that it’s not surprising her daughter-in-law Meghan Markle would try out the look, herself. With long legs like Diana’s, Meghan pulls it off easily here in October 2018 on a tour of New Zealand.

Floaty red dress

In June 1997, on a visit to Washington D.C. to support the American Red Cross’s providing aid to the victims of landmines, Princess Diana wore this ethereal dress in an unusual shade of sunset-orange-red. We saw this color again on Duchess Meghan in October 2018, when she wore it, also in a floaty dress (one which elegantly showed off Meghan’s baby bump), to travel to Tonga with her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Learn the 12 royal pregnancy rules Meghan has been learning to follow.

The telltale beret?

Princess Diana was famous for her hats, which often seemed to provide a window into the sensitive woman’s soul. In 1984, she’s photographed at the naming of a royal ship, looking smart in a beret chosen to match her jacket. While it’s too soon to tell if Meghan’s hat choices reveal her inner thoughts, it seems possible her choice of matching beret at a November 2018 National Service honoring the dead from World War I might have been a sentimental nod to her beloved husband’s late mum.