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The Princess of Wales channels Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour
When it comes to the Princess of Wales's style playbook, one sartorial sleight of hand remains failsafe: channelling the last woman to hold the title that is now hers. Catherine frequently draws inspiration from the late Princess Diana, and appears to have done so once again at this year's Trooping the Colour celebrations.
The Princess of Wales arrived on the Mall for the parade and Royal Air Force fly-past in an aquamarine dress coat by London-based designer Catherine Walker - the label's 'Bria' style, which features contrast ivory lapels and cuffs. The Princess's co-ordinating aqua hat with elegant floral detail was by Juliette Botterill, tied together with her Irish Guards Regimental Brooch and her Late Majesty The Queen's Bahrain pearl-drop earrings.
Watching the ceremony from the dias, sitting beside the King in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, Catherine took a central spot in the annual celebration of the monarch's birthday. As well as being characteristically chic and perfectly suited to the occasion, her outfit is strikingly similar to the one Diana wore for Trooping the Colour in 1988 - a green and white-trim dress also made by Catherine Walker, one of the late Princess's favourite designers.
By all accounts, Diana's is a great wardrobe to follow - she is still feted as a style icon decades on from her time in public life, during which she attended Trooping the Colour twelve times. Year after year, she delivered on-point looks, but it is her 1988 ensemble that seems etched most strongly in the mind of the current Princess of Wales.
Indeed, this is not the first time Catherine appears to have channelled this specific Eighties fashion moment; in 2023, the Princess drew comparisons in a green dress by Singapore-born designer Andrew Gn, worn with a co-ordinating hat by Philip Treacy. To underline the tribute to Diana, Catherine added her late mother-in-law's sapphire and diamond earrings.
Catherine often seems to look to Diana's stylish archive of outfits for inspiration, whether she's taking to the ski slopes in Switzerland or attending high-profile engagements. Another striking recent example came last month, when Catherine wore a navy coat dress with white trim by Suzannah London for the naming of HMS Glasgow. The immaculate nautical look was straight out of the Diana style playbook, recalling a similar Catherine Walker ensemble she chose in 1993 for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Another style move the two Princesses have in common? Mastering the tricky art of 'mummy and me' dressing. At this year's Trooping the Colour, Princess Charlotte echoed her mother in a dress in a paler shade of turquoise-blue, with matching white trim and tie-waist detail. Her horseshoe brooch, which once belonged to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was a gift from Her Late Majesty The Queen, echoing Catherine's earrings. Back in 1988, it was Prince Harry who was dressed to co-ordinate with his mother; the young royal appeared in Diana's arms on the balcony of Buckingham Palace wearing suspenders in the same shade of green as her Catherine Walker dress.
As well as looking charming, co-ordinating dressing displays a united, harmonious family front. It can be difficult to carry this off without looking twee, but both Princesses of Wales have shown that donning aligned, complementary looks is more effective than matching directly.
Catherine and Charlotte also showed how to pull off an elevated take on family dressing at last year's Trooping the Colour celebrations. The former wore white Jenny Packham design with black trim at the collar, while her daughter wore a navy sailor dress with white piping. It was, as The Telegraph 's Acting Deputy Fashion Director Tamara Abraham wrote at the time: 'almost the reverse of her mother's, but not so matchy-matchy that it looked twee.' Another effective example came at last year's Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham, for which Catherine and Charlotte wore co-ordinating tartan ensembles in shades of navy blue and forest green.
A brighter, more summery shade of green was perfect for the pair at this year's Trooping the Colour, striking a good balance between pretty pastels and deeper winter tones. The Duchess of Edinburgh also delved into the green colour palette, opting for a Beulah dress with puffed sleeves and a pillbox hat by Jane Taylor, both in regal shades of emerald. The Queen, meanwhile, wore white for the occasion, echoing her wedding ensemble in a silk crepe dress with silver embroidery by Anna Valentine and a sculptural hat by Philip Treacy.
All in all, the annual celebration of the monarch's official birthday provided plenty of uplifting fashion moments on a perfect summer's day in London. The King, along with other members of the royal family, wore black armbands in honour of those killed in the Air India disaster. This poignant tribute was balanced with colours and pageantry provided welcome light amid the darker news cycle.
