The Princess of Wales paid a poignant tribute to Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour yesterday, donning a striking white and turquoise coat dress by the late royal’s favourite designer – and echoing one of her most memorable looks from the early ’90s.
Royal watchers were quick to draw comparisons between Kate’s refined ensemble and the tailored Catherine Walker suit worn by Prince William‘s mother during her official visit to New Delhi in 1992.
Both outfits featured the same crisp white and turquoise colour palette and sleek silhouette, evoking the timeless elegance that defined Diana’s style legacy.
Catherine Walker was a go-to fashion house for her, and the Princess of Wales has followed suit in recent years, regularly stepping out in bespoke pieces from the British label.
The designer’s enduring link to the royal family and its polished aesthetic makes it a natural choice for Kate.
The visual tribute didn’t stop at the clothing. In a detail that delighted royal fans, Kate also opted for a cherished accessory with a storied royal provenance – the Bahrain pearl drop earrings, originally gifted to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 by the Hakim of Bahrain as a wedding present.
The jewellery, which feature a diamond stud and suspended Art Deco-style diamonds ending in two Bahrain-sourced pearls, has become a symbol of royal continuity across generations.
Diana was the first to wear the earrings after the Queen, having borrowed them as early as 1982 – a year after she herself became a royal bride.
Diana wore a turquoise and white Catherine Walker suit during a visit to India in 1992, strikingly similar to the ensemble donned by Kate at the King’s birthday parade
The Princess of Wales paid tribute to Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, selecting a turquoise and white suit dress by Catherine Walker
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a blue and white suit designed by Catherine Walker and a flower garland round her neck, during a visit to Tamana Special School in New Delhi
She often paired them with the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara, a piece now closely associated with the Princess of Wales, who continues to wear the tiara at formal state occasions.
Kate has worn the pearl earrings several times since Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022, signalling both personal respect and royal tradition.
‘Pearls are one of the very few jewellery items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewellery legacy,’ royal jewellery expert Bethan Holt previously told People.
The nod to both Diana and the late Queen was widely interpreted as a deliberate gesture, designed to underline the Princess of Wales’s role as a bridge between the monarchy’s past and future.
Kate’s decision to wear Catherine Walker for such a high-profile event was no surprise.
She has often gravitated towards the label’s sleek tailoring and understated colour palettes, much like Diana before her.
One of the most notable early examples came in 1987, when Diana coordinated in a matching Catherine Walker look with a young Prince William for an Easter Sunday service.
Now, nearly four decades later, William stood alongside his wife as she paid homage to the mother-in-law she never met but whose influence continues to shape her public image.
The designer was one of Diana’s favourites, and has now become a go-to for her daughter-in-law Kate
Kate paired the elegant outfit with Bahrain pearl and diamond earrings belonging to the late Queen Elizabeth – accessories frequently worn by Diana
And Princess Charlotte also paid tribute to her great-grandmother by rewearing a brooch she first wore to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
And Princess Charlotte joined her mother in paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
Kate’s only daughter rewore a brooch she first wore to her great-grandmother’s funeral.
The young royal, ten, pinned the historic Diamond Horseshoe brooch to the front of her light blue dress for her grandfather King Charles’s birthday parade.
The brooch, which has been in the Royal Family for generations, had been a gift from her ‘Gan-Gan’ the Queen, and was a fitting nod to Her Majesty’s love of horses.
Trooping the Colour is one of the most significant ceremonial events in the royal calendar.
Dating back to the 17th century, the annual parade marks the Sovereign’s official birthday and showcases the full spectacle of British pageantry.
The event features over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, culminating in a Royal Air Force flypast watched by senior royals from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
More than just a spectacle, Trooping the Colour serves as a public reaffirmation of the monarchy’s continuity and presence – a role Kate is increasingly stepping into with grace and poise.
