The times Meghan Markle has echoed Princess Diana in her fashion choices: From the Northwestern sweatshirt down to the Lady Dior handbag

Meghan Markle often pays tribute to Princess Diana through her fashion choices.

Sharing a series of sun-soaked clips to her Instagram on Sunday, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, wore a Northwestern sweatshirt as she relaxed in her garden – a sartorial nod to both her alma mater and her late mother-in-law.

Meghan was a double major in theatre and international studies at Northwestern in Illinois, graduating in 2003, and her purple college sweater appears to match the one Harry’s mother wore regularly in public in 1996 – the year before her death.

Princess Diana was gifted the jumper when she visited Northwestern’s Evanston campus in 1995 to raise money for the university’s Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center. It has since been nicknamed the ‘Princess Diana Sweatshirt’ and is sold on sites such as Etsy and eBay.

Taking inspiration yet again, Meghan recently dined at an upscale Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara in  a white shirt by Anine Bing tucked into La Ligne mom jeans, reflecting Diana’s iconic off-duty style.

Meghan accessorised her outfit with Chanel ballerinas and a Lady Dior bag – two of Diana’s favourites – as well as a Cartier watch inherited from Diana.

Diana was frequently seen carrying her quilted Lady Dior bag, prompting the design to be renamed from ‘Chouchou’ to ‘Lady’ in her honour.

Here, MailOnline takes a look back at the times the Duchess has replicated her mother-in-law’s style.

Butterfly suite

Princess Diana’s charming butterfly suite comprises earrings, a necklace and bracelet.  

She debuted two pieces from the set during an official visit to Canada in 1986.

While in Vancouver, Diana accessorised her royal blue Catherine Walker suit with the butterfly earrings and a gold necklace, featuring a matching slide enhancer. 

The yellow gold design is set with dark blue gemstones, believed to be sapphires.

A textured cuff bracelet, decorated with diamonds and sapphires, completes the parure. 

The princess notably wore this bracelet for a visit to the Lord Gage Centre in Newham in 1990, and continued to wear it over the next decade. 

In 2018, following her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan showcased Diana’s earrings and bracelet in Sydney, during their royal tour of Australia. 

She has since repeated both pieces, including at the launch of her clothing collection with the charity Smart Works, and a charity performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Off-the-shoulder neckline

In 1987, Princess Diana sported a spectacular pink satin evening gown, featuring a deep off-shoulder neckline that showed off her décolletage. 

The dress, designed by Catherine Walker, was selected for a Gala performance by the Royal Ballet at the Berlin Opera House.

This look appeared to be a source of inspiration for Meghan’s Trooping the Colour ensemble in 2018.

There, she chose a Carolina Herrera dress with a similar neckline and hue. 

Her matching hat was designed by royal family favourite milliner Phillip Treacy.

Unlike at her wedding just a mere three weeks prior, she wore her hair down and styled in waves. 

It marked the first time Meghan attended Trooping the Colour – an event which dates back to 1748.

Cartier Française watch 

Diana wore her Cartier Tank Française on several occasions, including a 1997 visit to London’s Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple and an engagement at the British Lung Foundation that same year.

At the time, the yellow gold timepiece was priced at £17,800.

‘The Cartier Tank is the French maison’s most iconic watch, famed for its timeless design and elegant silhouette,’ Rachel Garrahan, British Vogue’s jewellery and watch director, explained. 

‘Princess Diana frequently wore the classic design with a black leather strap. For more formal occasions she opted for a jewel-like gold Tank Française – it was based on the original Tank but has a more angular design and an integrated metal bracelet.’

It is said that, following Diana’s death, Prince William chose to keep the watch, while Prince Harry opted for her engagement ring. 

However, the brothers swapped when William decided to propose to Kate Middleton. 

Harry later gave the Cartier watch to Meghan, who has worn it on countless occasions. It is a clear favourite from her inherited collection. 

Strappy red dress 

Attending the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala in New York, Meghan oozed glamour as she graced the red carpet alongside Prince Harry. 

In 2024, Meghan opted to recycle the bespoke design by Carolina Herrera to attend the LA Children’s Hospital Gala.

Featuring the same striking halter neck design, the skirt train had been taken away to reveal a daring leg split running down its front.

The Duchess’s scarlet dress was reminiscent of one worn by Princess Diana.

In 1995, the late princess attended a swanky dinner party in Argentina.

There she donned a strappy scarlet dress by Catherine Walker. 

The glamorous lace mini dress incorporated a plunging off-the-shoulder neckline and strap detailing, creating a distinctive aesthetic. 

Aquamarine ring

Among Diana’s extensive jewellery collection was a striking emerald-cut cocktail ring.

The piece, a gift from Lucia Flecha de Lima, was made by Asprey in the 1990s.

Diana reportedly viewed the sparkling accessory as a ‘replacement’ for her engagement ring after her divorce from Prince Charles. 

The stylish royal memorably teamed the ring with a blue one-shoulder Versace dress for a fundraising gala in Sydney, Australia, in 1996.

Diana wore the emerald-cut design only on one other occasion: a party celebrating the launch of her dress auction at Christie’s, in London, the following year.

Meghan re-introduced this stunning ring, last worn in 1997, on her wedding day.

She was pictured riding in a vintage Jaguar convertible with the jewel on her finger as she wore a sleek Stella McCartney ivory gown to her evening reception at Frogmore House.

White pencil dress 

During her 2018 royal tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, Meghan opted for a sophisticated white pencil dress by Australian designer Karen Gee.

The Duchess looked impossibly chic as she paired the white sleeveless design with nude heels.

She completed the sleek look with a pair of butterfly earrings once worn by Princess Diana.

They were first seen on the late Princess of Wales during a trip to Canada with Charles in 1986. 

Meghan’s simple, figure-hugging dress echoed one worn by her late mother-in-law, some two decades earlier, in 1995. 

Hailing from Versace, Diana’s dress incorporated a near identical neckline and silhouette, albeit with a slightly shorter length.

She also sported a pair of sunglasses to ward off the rays in Rome.

Green maternity coat

While pregnant with her first son Prince William, Diana wore an emerald green coat with black detailing on the collar during a visit to Bristol in March 1982.

The outerwear designed by Bellville Sassoon perfectly matched the hat by milliner John Boyd.

Almost 29 years later to the day, the Duchess of Sussex looked equally as gorgeous in green as she stepped out on a visit to Canada House in London in March 2019.

With her husband Prince Harry by her side, the Duchess attended the event which showcased the diverse community of young Canadians living in the UK.

It was an event close to Meghan’s heart as before marrying into the royal family, she had lived in Toronto for six years while filming the legal drama Suits. 

The mother-to-be wore Canadian designer Erdem for the occasion.

Much like Diana was during her visit to Bristol, Meghan was heavily pregnant at the time.

The Duchess gave birth to her first child Prince Archie less than two months later on May 6, 2019.

Diana gave birth to her first child Prince William three months after her visit to Bristol on June 21, 1982.