For as long as she's been a member of the royal family, Kate Middleton has been considered a fashion icon. The Princess of Wales has always had a very distinct sense of style, and although it has evolved over the years, it's always remained basically the same. Kate often opts for very feminine looks, usually eschewing trends in favor of more timeless pieces. She has become queen of the coatdress and never shies away from a pop of color — especially when it comes to anything that matches the sapphire blue engagement ring she inherited from Princess Diana.
But then Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018 and shook things up a bit. Though we now know (thanks to the Sussexes' Netflix docuseries) that Meghan was always wearing neutrals because she wanted to blend in and not offend any of her royal family members, those shades did become something we associated with her. Meghan's never been quite as frilly as Kate; we are far more likely to see her in something like a well-fitted blazer than a matching top and skirt set.
Recently, it's become harder and harder to ignore the fact that Kate seems to be taking style cues from Meghan — even though their closets couldn't possibly be more different. We don't know if this is an attempt to modernize the monarchy or to capitalize off of Meghan's popularity with royal fans in America, but either way, there's been a distinct change in the way Kate dresses, especially over the last year or so.
Scroll on to see all the times that Kate seemed to copy Meghan's style. We have to admit that some of these looks are a bit too similar for this to be a coincidence.
A Similar Tartan Moment
Both of these royals have rather impressive coat collections, which is necessary when spending so much time in the UK, where it's pretty cold and dreary for several months of the year. But this time around, it looks like Kate took a bit of inspiration from her sister-in-law when she stepped out in this tartan coat designed by Holland Cooper on multiple occasions between 2021 and now. Meghan wore a similar design by Burberry during her first official visit to Scotland with Prince Harry just a few months before they were married.
Camel Coats & Turtlenecks
Given that camel coats have always kind of been Meghan's thing, it was a little surprising to see Kate turn up in one of her own at a royal engagement at Lancashire in January 2022 — especially because she paired it with a dark brown turtleneck, just like Meghan did in this look she wore almost exactly two years earlier.
Ladies in Red
After Meghan left royal life, she started dressing a bit more boldly, including this red outfit that she wore to speak at the One Young World Summit in September 2022. Lo and behold, about four months later in January 2023, Kate wore a bright red Alexander McQueen suit that sparked a whole lot of comparisons.
Two Blue Coats
Here's another coat comparison that's making us think that Kate really loves Meghan's chilly weather style. In September 2018, while celebrating the launch of her recipe book Together: Our Community Cookbook, Meghan wore this blue coat from Smythe over a black sleeveless turtleneck top and skirt. Years later, in January 2022, Kate wore a similar blue coat — also with a black turtleneck.
Straw Hats at Wimbledon
These two hats aren't identical, but they're both straw hats with a band around them worn to the same event, and the story behind them is quite interesting. When Meghan attended Wimbledon with Kate in the summer of 2018, she wasn't allowed to wear her hat because, according to The Sun, hats are prohibited in the royal box, lest they block someone's view.
But at Wimbledon 2022, Kate was spotted wearing a floppy hat of her own in the same royal box where they were supposedly prohibited. Hmm …
Cape Dresses
It's hard to imagine the proper occasion to wear a cape dress, but somehow the royals find plenty of them. In fact, Kate wore this one by Jenny Packham at her very first state dinner as Princess of Wales in 2022 — but not before Meghan wore a cape dress of her own in March 2020, when she and Harry briefly returned to the UK to finish out their duties as working royals before formally breaking free of The Firm.
Black & Blue
Just a few months after marrying into the royal family in 2018, Meghan wore this blue Oscar de la Renta jacket with black wide-leg Altazurra trousers to a royal engagement. In October 2022, Kate wore the same color combo to an engagement of her own, pairing a blue Chanel blazer with black wide-leg trousers.
But where it gets really strange is that Kate accessorized with a necklace that's almost identical to the one that Meghan was wearing that day — oh, and the fact that both women wore these outfits to events involving the exact same charity, Coach Core. Whoa.
Back to Basics
We'll admit that this is a pretty basic look, but we can't help but think that Kate is taking a page out of Meghan's book with this black and white combo because it's not typically her style. Kate wore hers in January 2023, and Meghan's is from 2018.
Sunshine Times Two
This one is a bit of a throwback — and an outlier, because these photos were only taken days apart in July 2018. First, Meghan wore this bright yellow dress to a reception in honor of the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge with Harry, and then, 10 days later, Kate turned up in something similar at Wimbledon. Coincidence? Maybe.
All Black Suits & All Business
Two all-black suits worn with black tops that have very similar necklines … interesting. Kate's wearing her outfit in a promo video for the Natural History Museum in London that was shared to the royals' Instagram account in 2020, while Meghan wore her suit to the WellChild Awards in 2018.
