She got it from her mama — mama Middleton that is! Kate Middleton‘s sense of style is world-renowned, but she didn’t become a fashionista in a vacuum. It seems the Duchess of Cambridge may have gotten much of her sense of style from her mother, Carole Middleton, and vice versa. The two of them have twinned a ton of times (say that five times fast). From winter fashion to chic summer dresses, Carole and Kate are totally on the same page fashion-wise.
Over the years, Kate has worn looks super similar to what her mom has worn in the past, just as Carole has mimicked some of her daughter’s most famous styles — and the two of them even own exact copies of the same dress and hat. Most recently, Carole stepped out to the opening day of the 2022 Royal Ascot wearing a pink midi dress that her royal daughter wore during a visit to Scotland in May 2021.
Before Kate married into royalty, Carole led a relatively normal life. She married Michael Middleton and had three children: James, Kate, and Pippa. She started a party planning company that her whole family worked at for a bit — even Kate before she left behind her commoner life. And then, bam! Kate meets a prince at college, marries him, and suddenly, Carole is in the spotlight, along with the rest of the Middleton family.
But she’s worn it well. She maintains a relatively low profile, but the family matriarch can be spotted out and about at times — usually at a wedding or christening or other special occasion, and always, always for Wimbledon in the summer. (All the Middletons enjoy tennis, and they all dress up for the summer event.) Some of Carole’s best looks have come from her tennis match attire, and, to be honest, the same goes for Kate.
Here are 27 times this mom and her royal daughter took inspiration from each other’s closets.
Pretty in Pink
When Carole attended the opening day of Royal Ascot in June 2022, royal fashion fans likely did a double-take. She wore a vibrant pink belted midi dress that looked familiar. It appeared to be the same one that daughter Kate wore in May 2021 during a visit to Scotland. As many fans may remember, the duchess slipped it on for quite a special occasion: a tea party with young cancer patient Mila Sneddon. Mila was featured in Kate’s photography project, Hold Still, and when the two connected by phone in 2020 amid the pandemic, Kate promised to wear a pink dress when they finally met in person. (Pink is Mila’s favorite color.) And now it seems Carole is also a fan of the pretty frock, by the London-based brand ME + EM.
White Eyelet Dress
In 2014 during her tour of Australia and New Zealand, Kate stunned in a pretty white dress with an eyelet cutout pattern. It was a $460 style from the Australian fashion label Zimmermann. Usually, Kate tries to wear local designs on her travels, and her visits always help spike the economy because suddenly people all over the world are interested in one region’s outfits.
Mom Loved the Look, Too
