Princess Kate Mirrors Late Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour

Princess Catherine turned heads at Trooping the Colour in a Catherine Walker ensemble that echoed a beloved Princess Diana look. The style choice is part of a pattern of the Princess of Wales paying tribute to her late mother-in-law through fashion.

Princess Catherine is once again honoring her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, through her style choices. The Princess of Wales mirrored Diana while attending King Charles' official birthday parade on Saturday, June 13, amid Trooping the Colour festivities.

As always, the senior royal was a vision of elegance. Catherine wore a baby blue double-breasted coat dress by Catherine Walker, trimmed with white lapels and matching cuffs, paired with white pointed-toe stiletto heels.

She completed the look with a wide-brimmed white Philip Treacy hat adorned with a blue feather detail, pearl Cassandra Goad earrings, a pearl bracelet, and her Irish Guards Brooch.

The ensemble was a striking echo of a Diana classic.

In 1987, the late Princess had worn an almost identical baby blue double-breasted Catherine Walker coat dress with white lapel and cuff trim, finishing her look with cream low-heeled pumps, white gloves, and a wide-brimmed pale blue hat with a white band.

Diana's nephew Peter Phillips sweetly coordinated in a matching baby blue coat, while a young Prince William mirrored his father in a dark suit and tie.

It is far from the first time Catherine has drawn inspiration from Diana's wardrobe.

At last year's Trooping the Colour, she wore an aquamarine and ivory Catherine Walker coat dress featuring a white pointed collar and matching cuff trim, paired with a coordinating teal wide-brimmed hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery.

Pearl drop earrings belonging to Queen Elizabeth, her Irish Guards Brooch, and an elegant updo rounded out the outfit — another clear nod to a Diana favorite.

The late Princess had debuted a strikingly similar turquoise and white Catherine Walker suit during a visit to New Delhi, India, in February 1992.

Diana's version featured bold white contrast paneling across the front and hem of a pleated midi skirt, gold button fastenings, teal pointed-toe heels, and a wide-brimmed white hat with a teal band.

Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph, has spoken about the deliberate nature of these style tributes.

"I think we have seen lots of examples where the reference is very intentional, and I think that Kate uses fashion to pay tribute to Diana in a very positive way," she previously told People.

Holt suggested the choices may even be a joint decision between the royal couple.

"I think that William and Kate, between them, might have decided that actually on some occasions it's a really nice thing for Kate to reference the fact that Diana is still a fashion muse today and to do that through her own clothes," she added.

Crucially, Holt noted that when Catherine draws style inspiration from Diana, the looks never feel like imitation. Rather than recreating outfits wholesale, she modernizes them — swapping dated silhouettes for more current designs — making each ensemble feel distinctly her own.

The fashion director also tied Catherine's increasing references to Diana to a broader growth in her personal confidence, noting that the Princess was initially hesitant with her style choices, well aware of the considerable legacy she was stepping into.

"As she's become more confident in her own style, knowing what works for her, she's then been able to incorporate those Diana moments into her own wardrobe, and she's done it in a way that really makes sense," Holt concluded.