Kate Middleton Honors Princess Diana by Recreating This Memorable 1987 Look at Trooping the Colour
Kate Middleton Honors Princess Diana by Recreating This Memorable 1987 Look at Trooping the Colour
Rachel BurchfieldSat, June 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM UTC
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Kate Middleton on June 13, 2026.Credit: GettyThe Gist -
Kate Middleton has never missed a Trooping the Colour since marrying into the royal family in 2011.
The Princess of Wales was front and center at this year's birthday parade for King Charles, which took place on June 13.
It was impossible to miss the future queen's reference to a Princess Diana look from 1987 as Kate wore a baby blue Catherine Walker ensemble.
Just as she did last year, Kate Middleton directly channeled Princess Diana through her fashion choice at Trooping the Colour.
On June 13, the Princess of Wales joined the rest of the royal family to pay tribute to the public birthday celebration of King Charles. The future queen wore a baby blue ensemble by Catherine Walker—Diana's favorite designer—and a coordinating hat by Philip Treacy. She accessorized with a pair of pearl Cassandra Goad earrings she wore to Prince Louis's christening in 2018, and she wore her Irish Guards Brooch, which she backs as honorary Colonel.
Kate Middleton on June 13, 2026.Credit: Getty
It's impossible not to notice the similarities between Kate's look on Saturday and Diana's Easter 1987 ensemble, also by Catherine Walker. Both looks are in the same color, both have white trim, and even similar pocket details.
Princess Diana on April 19, 1987.Credit: Getty
Princess Diana on April 19, 1987.Credit: Getty
In 2025, Kate wore an aquamarine and ivory coatdress by Catherine Walker, a matching hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery, and a pair of Queen Elizabeth's pearl drop earrings. That Trooping the Colour look seems to directly reference a Diana outfrom from February 12, 1992, when Diana wore a very similar turquoise and white Catherine Walker suit while visiting New Delhi, India.
Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte during Trooping the Colour in 2025.Credit: Getty Images
Princess Diana on February 12, 1992.Credit: Getty
"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," Bethan Holt, fashion director at The Telegraph, previously told People.
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"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," Holt added.
Kate Middleton on June 13, 2026.Credit: Getty
She continued, "What's really key about these times when Kate references Diana, it's not like a costume. She brings it right up to date so she makes it look relevant for now. She's not doing an '80s power shoulder or a puff ball skirt, she's making it look sleeker and more contemporary. She makes it her own without looking like she's playing 'dress up as Diana.'"
Holt said that Kate's increased frequency of channeling Diana shows her confidence. "I think for a long time she was a little bit reluctant with her style, and the reasoning behind that was meant to be that Diana was this huge global style icon and those were really big shoes for Catherine to fill," she said. "For a few years at the beginning of her marriage, she was very tentative and we didn't see her doing it very much."
Kate Middleton on June 13, 2026.Credit: Getty
"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."
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