Spot the difference: The times Meghan Markle has echoed Princess Diana in her fashion choices
Meghan Markle often pays tribute to Princess Diana through her fashion choices.
She recently wore an entire outfit that seemed to come straight from her late mother-in-law’s wardrobe.
Dining at an upscale Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara, Meghan wore 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 her.
Diana was frequently seen carrying her quilted Lady Dior bag, prompting the design to be renamed from ‘Chouchou’ to ‘Lady’ in her honour.
Here, we look back at the times the Duchess has replicated her mother-in-law’s style.
At an upscale Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara, Meghan Markle donned an entire outfit that seemed to come straight from her later mother-in-law Diana’s wardrobe
Diana championed off-duty style, pairing a white shirt with mom jeans, and often carried a Lady Dior bag
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.
Meghan Markle has worn earrings from Princess Diana’s butterfly suite on a number of occasions. Above: Diana wore the butterfly earrings and necklace during a trip to Vancouver, Canada, in 1986; Meghan wearing the earrings during a royal tour of Australia in 2018
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.
A textured cuff bracelet, incorporating diamonds and sapphires, completes Diana’s butterfly parure. Diana wore the gold textured cuff while visiting the Lord Gage Centre in Newham, East London, in 1990 (left). Right: Meghan has worn Diana’s cuff at numerous events, including the launch of her clothing collection with the charity Smart Works in 2019
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, where she chose a Carolina Herrera dress with a similar neckline and hue.
Diana’s 1987 look appeared to be a source of inspiration for Meghan’s Trooping the Colour ensemble in 2018, where she wore a Carolina Herrera dress with a similar neckline and hue
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.
Diana wore her Cartier Française Tank watch several times throughout the 1990s. Meghan has worn the same watch countless times since marrying Prince Harry
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.
The Duchess’s dress, a bespoke design by Carolina Herrera, was reminiscent of one worn by Princess Diana.
In 1995, the late princess attended a swanky dinner party in Argentina, donning 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.
In 1995, Diana wowed in a strappy scarlet dress by Catherine Walker for a swanky dinner in Argentina. Meghan opted for a Carolina Herrera dress with a similar neckline at the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala in New York
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.
She 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 paired the jewel with a sleek Stella McCartney ivory gown for her evening reception at Frogmore House.
Diana owned a collection of aquamarines, including a striking emerald-cut cocktail ring
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 Karen Gee.
The simple, figure-hugging design 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.
Meghan’s simple, figure-hugging dress, worn in 2018, echoed one that her late mother-in-law showcased in 1995
