Meghan Markle is accused of 'copying' Kate Middleton after having photographs taken with pilots in the cockpit of a plane – days after the Princess's RAF base visit

Meghan Markle has been accused of ‘copying’ the Princess of Wales after she shared selfies with pilots in the cockpit during her Washington DC trip this week.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, posted an Instagram reel of her whirlwind ’24 hours of impact and fun’ on Thursday evening, including behind-the-scenes footage of her appearance at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit.

At one point, Meghan was seen posing for selfies and chatting with pilots in the cockpit, before filming snippets of the view from her plane.

However, royal fans soon noted her newfound enthusiasm for the aircraft came just weeks after the Princess of Wales’ visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, where she was seen touring a Typhoon fighter jet and taking on a flight simulator.

As Royal Honorary Air Commodore, Kate’s passion for the planes was clear and she even wowed station commanders by performing a virtual ‘loop-the-loop’ manoeuvre.

Royal fans drew comparisons between Meghan’s pictures this week and Kate’s from October 2, with one critic even saying the Duchess was ‘copying as usual’.

A second said: ‘Exactly my thought when I saw her in the cockpit’, while a third added: ‘Is it her trying to copy the way Catherine was with the pilot?’

This isn’t the first time royal fans have accused Prince Harry’s wife of copying Kate;similarities in their engagements and their fashion choices have previously been noted.

For example, in the second season of Meghan’s Netflix show in August, she was seen wearing the same red jumper once worn by her sister-in-law.

Meanwhile a snap to promote her As ever line in June saw Meghan taking to a swing in a picture very reminiscent of the Princess of Wales.

Since she joined the royal family in 2018, Meghan’s style has also undergone a radical transformation as she has gradually exchanged her red carpet-ready ensembles for a more modest, regal wardrobe.

In doing so Meghan appears to have looked no further than her sister-in-law for inspiration, actively mirroring Kate’s most memorable looks.

Commenting on her latest ‘copy-Kate’ moment, another royal fan wrote: ‘Markle in a little airplane, Princess Catherine in military fighter jets. Please….’

Others said: ‘Yes, we get it, you fly private…’;

‘Of course she took a pic in the cockpit. The POW was literally in the cockpit of a fighter jet just a few weeks ago and set the internet on fire while walking down the stairs of the plane backwards.’

Meghan captioned her video: ‘Love being surrounded by strong women supporting each other!’

The Princess of Wales, 43, had wowed audiences during her visit as she gamely climbed narrow stairs in her navy stilettos to peer inside the cockpit of a fully armed Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon.

She also shared how her youngest son Louis is keen to become a fighter pilot, but added: ‘I’m going to tell them (her children) it takes eight years and a lot of hard work!’

The Princess seemed to take to her simulated flight with ease and appeared to enjoy her virtual climb from RAF Coningsby enough to perform the aerobatic stunt.

The princess ‘flew’ around the Lincolnshire countryside with the North Sea ahead and, at one point, appeared to perform a loop-the-loop manoeuvre.

Speaking afterwards, Group Captain Paul O’Grady said: ‘She seems to be a natural pilot so we might have to get her qualified and get her flying a Typhoon, if she’s up for it.’

Meanwhile Meghan has been undertaking a two-week PR blitz in the US, as she appears to be gearing up for a ‘Meghan 3.0’ relaunch.

Last night, she popped up at a glitzy vegan banquet in Los Angeles celebrating women ‘owning their power’ and helping ‘each other get s**t done’.

The Duchess was guest of honour at a party thrown by her friend and fellow podcaster Emma Grede, the British-born CEO of fashion brand Good American and a founding partner of Kim Kardashian‘s Skims line.

The dinner was at the home of designer Kelly Wearstler, where celebrity chef Camilla Marcus produced an entirely plant-based menu, washed down with Meghan’s As Ever wine.

Ms Grede shared a number of images on Instagram and showed Meghan sat right next to the host.

She said: ‘This dinner series is about making that energy ours. About women coming together to share openly, trade resources, and help each other get s**t done.

‘Because when women choose to collaborate, to champion each other, and to speak honestly about the highs and the hard parts, we don’t just change our own stories. We change what’s possible for every woman who follows.

‘Here’s to more seats, more voices, and more women leading, building, and owning their power’.

Emma posed with Meghan and shared a video of the women clinking glasses. But while Meghan appeared to be drinking her own sauvignon blanc.

Emma had red wine, whichAs Ever does not sell, although fans were quick to suggest that

Meghan did her best to command attention in a typically chic ensemble, complete with a Giuliva Heritage Stella Linen Blazer in camel, teamed with the matching trousers and a white crop top to show off her toned midriff.

Adding a touch of glitz to her smart outfit, the Duchess opted for her Cartier Love gold bracelet and a statement collar necklace from Aurate New York.

Meghan appeared on Emma’s ‘Aspire’ podcast in June and appeared totake a series of new pops at the Royal Family after she pointedly said that she wanted people to ‘tell the truth’ about her.

The Duchess of Sussex also shared advice from her friend Serena Williams about ‘lies’ in another apparent dig about her life in the public eye since she fell in love with Prince Harry.

Emma asked the Duchess: ‘If you could rewrite your public narrative from scratch, is there anything you would do differently?’.

Meghan wore a determined look and replied: ‘Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth’.

Ms Gerde said Meghan must feel ‘angry’ to have people ‘lying about [her] all the time’. Meghan said that she dealt with this by remembering advice from her friend, tennis champion Serena Williams.

‘My dear friend Serena, she told me years ago: ‘A lie can’t live forever’.’ Meghan then laughed and said pointedly: ‘Eight years is a long time, but not forever’ – a clear nod to the period when she first began dating Prince Harry.

She then described fame as having ‘peaks and valleys’ and claims she has survived with ‘a lot of self work’ as well as de-stressing by spending time with her children, hiking and ‘date nights’ with Harry.

There was also a subtle dig at royal life where she described times in her life where she ‘wasn’t as empowered with my voice’, but said of her return to Instagram, which she left when she became a royal: ‘It was a great way to get my voice back.’

Meghan’s appearance at the LA dinner – around an hour from her Montecito mansion – came in a fortnight of pseudo-royal public engagements.

Experts have predicted another new venture is on the cards, potentially in couture or cosmetics.

On Tuesday Meghan lectured on life as a ‘high-profile business founder’ as one of the stars of Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Women’ summit in the US capital.

Her Washington address marked yet another public appearance after New York dinners with Serena Williams, another with a powerhouse talent agent, a night out with Ed Sheeran and a charity gala where she was crowned ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ with Harry.

Experts predict the flurry of east coast engagements – at least six in as many days, including some without her husband – is part of a wider ‘Meghan 3.0’ relaunch attempt after a bumpy 2025.

In an Instagram reel released before the DC event Meghan filmed herself applying what appeared to be unbranded make up. It immediately led to speculation online that they could be samples for her own range – or a new collaboration with a beauty brand.

The headliner at the Fortune event conference in Washington was Selena Gomez, who became a billionaire largely due to her Rare Beauty make up business.

Meghan also popped up at Paris Fashion Week ten days ago,ramping up claims she may move into clothing. One source predicted: ‘Fashion is where she will aim her focus now’.

Another industry expert said privately that her Paris visit had been viewed as a huge coup for Meghan, even if she had to askBalenciaga for an invite.

‘Paris was a “moment” for her. It’s the first positive PR she’s had in years’, they added.

It came as an ally of Meghan andPrince Harryhanded them their ‘Humanitarians of the Year’ award has insisted that ‘no one’ is more deserving of the accolade.

Mark Borkowski, arguably the UK’s leading PR guru and crisis manager, told the Royale that Meghan’s photo op blitz in NYC looks desperate – and lacks substance.

‘She is trying her hand to re-enter the global stage without waiting for an invitation. Fashion for the eyeballs, humanitarianism for the legitimacy, Washington for the gravitas. It’s less about proving one thing than layering enough optics to obscure the vacuum underneath’, he said.

In recent days Meghan has popped up all over Manhattan.

She reportedly held a solo meeting with the new editor of American Vogue, Chloe Malle, in a quiet corner of the luxurious Whitby Hotel.

She was spotted visiting the home of her friend Gloria Steinem, arguably one of America’s most influential liberal activists and feminists.

There was also a solo dinner out with Serena Williams’ agent Jill Smoller with photographers waiting outside.

There was also a dinner with Harry and Ed Sheeran on Sunday night at Soho House. She shared an image of her chatting to the British musician.

There was also a lunch friend Serena Williams at the same venue.

The Sussexes famously had their first date at the London branch.

One leading PR guru with clients in the US and UK told the Royale: ‘It’s Meghan 3.0. She’s on manoeuvres and looking for yet another relaunch.’

The events all began when Meghan and Harry were handed a Humanitarians of the Year award, which some branded a ‘mad’ decision and ‘the ultimate irony‘. One royal expert insisted William and Kate would be better suited.

Attorney and social media safety campaigner Laura Marquez-Garrett gave the couple their gong in New York last week and called their critics ‘sad’, ‘pessimistic’ and accused them of lacking humanity.

‘NO ONE has done more for the thousands of families the Social Media Law Center serves than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, she wrote in their defence on LinkedIn.

She revealed that the Sussexes’ have been privately supporting families who have lost loved ones due to social media abuse.

She wrote that the couple have helped ‘not just through money and words … but by personally showing up over and over … by personally making phone calls, sending notes, and picking fruit from their garden for grieving parents so that they know they are not alone. By putting ideas, resources, and support into action to ensure that these families have what they need to stand up and fight back’.

She said: ‘ No one … I repeat … NO ONE has done more for the thousands of families the Social Media Law Center serves than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And no one … I repeat … NO ONE has done more for those of us at SMVLC who love these families and need them to be okay to do the work we do across litigation, legislation, and education than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘Their humanity speaks for itself and I feel bad for those who live in the place where social media dictates life rather than seeking truth from those who have witnessed it first hand. That must be a sad, pessimistic, and scary place to live’.

Meghan spoke live on stage to Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell in Washington DCat a starry event also featuring the likes of former Vice PresidentKamala Harris and pop starSelena Gomez.

Their sit-down, titled Next Level Influence, covered how Meghan plans to build a ‘successful, long-lasting business empire‘.

She also discussed founding her As Ever lifestyle business, finding new products and ‘navigating entrepreneurship in the public eye and building a brand that will endure’.

In the past year, Meghan has returned to Instagram, launched her Confessions Of A Female Founder podcast, appeared in her own Netflix cookery show, and launched a range of lifestyle products and website.

‘She joins us to discuss the opportunities and challenges of life as a high-profile, highly scrutinised founder, as well as how she plans to leverage her significant influence to build a successful, long-lasting business empire,’ the blurb from Fortune read.

Meghan’s first range of lifestyle products for her As Ever brand sold out just minutesafter going live when it first launched in April.

However, experts later theorised this was a ‘common marketing ploy’ as items had only been made in small quantities, while later launches including her rosé wine failed to sell out.

In a flurry of activity in October, Meghan popped up in Paris at the Balenciaga Spring-Summer 2026 show nine days ago where her daring white and black outfits made headlines around the world.

The Royale revealed that she had asked the brand’s top designer if she could attend – rather than receiving an invite.

But insiders in the fashion world have said while there were a number of controversies on the trip, her Parisian adventure has been well received in that cossetted world and more appearances at these type of events could follow.