As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continue their royal visit to Pakistan, fans have been quick to notice striking similarities between the outfits Catherine has stepped out in and those previously worn by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
While both royal woman are renowned for their own faultless senses of style, with Diana’s legacy still living on more than two decades after her untimely death, Catherine’s sweet tributes to her husband’s mother, whom she never got to meet, have not gone unnoticed.
There have been several similarities so far on the trip, including the green ensemble the duchess wore to meet the country’s prime minister on Tuesday. However it was Catherine’s outing in Chitral on Wednesday that garnered the most attention after the mother-of-three donned an identical headdress to that worn by Diana during a visit to the country in 1991.
Catherine was presented with the white feathered headpiece and shawl as she arrived in the Hindu Khush yesterday, while her husband Prince William was presented with a beautifully embroidered coat by the group of locals. On their second full day of their most complex tour to date, the royal couple visited the Chiatibo Glacier to see the effects of climate change, as well as the impact that flash flooding has had on villages within Chitral valley.
Fans of the royal couple were quick to comment on social media about the striking resemblance between Catherine and Diana, with many describing the moment as “touching” and said it evoked memories of the late People’s Princess. Perhaps the only difference between the white headpieces is that Kate’s featured peacock feathers, while Diana’s was said to have feathers from a bird of prey.
One user wrote on Twitter: “There’s something immensely touching about Prince William & Kate channelling his mother Princess Diana when she visited Pakistan 28 years ago. I can assure you Pakistanis haven’t forgotten Diana.”
Another said: “Not just in Pakistan but Kate does that all the time. I love how she looks up to her late mother in-law. Princess Diana must have been her role model.”
For the visit, Kate opted to stick with her tried and tested tour style as she stepped out in a of practical brown suede knee-high boots, paired with a simple brown shirt and brown culottes – which have become her autumn wardrobe staple – as well as a dark leather-look jacket.
Prince William kept things casual too, wearing beige slacks for the outing in northern Pakistan, with a sand-coloured pair of suede shoes and a simple pale green button-up shirt.
Later in the day, Kate and Wills donned brightly-coloured headdresses as they visited a settlement of the Kalash people where they learned about their culture and unique heritage. According to The Sun’s royal editor Emily Andrews, two is documenting the tour on Twitter, the Kalash people are “one of the world’s smallest ethnoreligious groups who have their own distinct ID and culture”.
Stunning pictures from the village visit showed the Cambridges meeting and speaking with local residents, as crowds of locals gathered in the background to mark the momentous occasion. A particular image showed Kate clasping her hands to her chest and broadly smiling as she engaged with a group of women, of varying ages, all dress in similar vibrant headdresses and outfits.
The day before William and Catherine spent time with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in the capital city of Islamabad. The late Princess of Wales was a close friend of the former international cricketer and his former wife Jemima Goldsmith, and Diana made several visits to the country before her tragic death in 1997.
Following the meeting on Tuesday, Kensington Palace shared several images of the Cambridges with the prime minister, and wrote: “Meeting the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called on Prime Minister @ImranKhan.pti and President @Dr.ArifAlvi, where they offered their thanks for the warm welcome they have received in Pakistan.”