The Duchess of Sussex arrived on the royal scene with Hollywood sparkle and a wardrobe to match, filled with bodycon dresses, ripped jeans and stilettos that screamed starlet, not sovereign.
But since marrying Prince Harry and stepping into her royal role, Meghan’s style has 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, the Princess of Wales, for inspiration, actively mirroring Kate’s most memorable looks.
From buttoned-up coats to modest midi dresses, and classic checks to elegant evening gowns, Meghan appears to be borrowing liberally from Kate’s style playbook, in a game of royal fashion déjà vu. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
She’s swapped sultry for subtle and glamour for grace, traits long associated with Kate’s carefully cultivated image.
Gone are the days of floppy fedoras and trilbies, in their place are elegant fascinators, structured pillboxes and tilted brims, staples of Kate’s royal wardrobe.
The Princess of Wales’s fashion formula has always been about balance, conservative yet modern, refined yet relatable. She champions British designers including Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham, and Catherine Walker, often re-wearing pieces to promote sustainability.
Meghan, in contrast, once favoured bold American designers and high-end Hollywood labels, but since marrying into the Royal Family her wardrobe choices have pivoted towards British brands.
Meghan Markle sported a houndstooth Dôen blazer with a velvet collar, paired with Veronica Beard jeans in Vancouver earlier this year. We saw this look before when the Princess of Wales wore a similar style from Smythe during a royal visit to Essex in 2018.
Dressed down in white shirts, belted bootcut jeans and flowing wavy hairstyles, both Meghan and Kate channeled western chic. The Princess of Wales was first to debut the style at the Calgary Stampede Parade in Alberta, Canada in July 2011, completing the look with a cowboy hat. Four years later Meghan copied Kate’s style at a Dove event in October 2015
One of Kate’s most iconic looks was the Issa dress she wore to announce her engagement in 2010 to Prince William. In 2016 Meghan wore her own version of the style to an Instagram dinner in Toronto. The subtle differences between both dresses highlight the contrasts between the two women
Meghan’s white engagement coat from Canadian brand Line the Label had strong echoes of a Max Mara number worn by Kate in 2015. Giving a nod to Kate’s style during the photoshoot of her engagement to Harry in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in November 2017, Meghan’s coat was similarly cinched at the waist, with wide lapels at the neckline
A visit to Scotland calls for a classic tartan coat, and Meghan wore exactly that when she dressed in Burberry during her first official visit to Edinburgh in 2018. The look gave a sense of déjà vu as Meghan was drawing inspiration from the Alexander McQueen coat Kate wore at St Andrew’s School in 2012
Meghan and Kate have both stunned in black and white looks, with Kate wearing a graphic Roland Mouret gown to the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick and Meghan opting for a similar look but as a jumpsuit for a dinner date in New York
Meghan channelled the royal family’s love of plaid during a visit to Wales in 2018. Wearing a plaid off-the-shoulder jacket by Theory, the look was reminiscent of Kate’s very similar collarless plaid LK Bennett look which she dressed in for an appearance in Manchester in December 2017
Kate has a range of pillbox hats that she has accumulated while married to Prince William. At the 2019 Commonwealth Day service, Meghan channeled Jackie Kennedy and wore a pristine white Victoria Beckham coat with a matching pillbox hat that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Lock & Co one Kate wore on Easter Sunday in 2017
Meghan Markle looked chic as she arrived at the TIME 100 Summit donning a Ralph Lauren camel suit complete with wide-leg trousers. Her look was a carbon copy of one worn by the Princess of Wales, who stepped out in this powerhouse outfit when she visited the Streets of Growth charity in east London. Kate’s tailoring was by Roland Mouret and was also layered over a white top and completed with suede pumps
Donning pieces from Kate’s go-to designers Erdem, Emilia Wickstead, and Alexander McQueen, even Meghan’s designer choices echo those of the Princess of Wales.
Ultimately, whether you call it imitation, admiration, or savvy styling, one thing is certain, Meghan’s wardrobe evolution is no accident as she aligns herself with the British royal fashion aesthetic.
It is careful, calculated, and inspired as she adapts to the conservative, often unspoken, rules of royal dressing. And if imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, then Kate Middleton can consider herself royally flattered.
The Princess of Wales has mastered the art of regal elegance, naturally becoming the model to follow, and as Meghan has followed suit the similarities are striking, from the silhouette to the styling, and even in her posture.
Even as Meghan and Harry have stepped back from royal duties the fashion mimicry has continued.
During her appearances in the US, Meghan’s wardrobe has kept many of the hallmarks of Kate’s elegance, monochrome palettes, and modest hemlines.
Meghan often injects a subtle twist into her ensembles, now choosing American designers, mixing high street with high end, and opting for more relaxed fits than Kate’s traditionally tailored look.
But the blueprint is still visible. Whether it’s a crisp white shirt tucked into tailored trousers, or an evening look elegantly revealing her shoulders, the influence is clear as she has transformed from showbiz siren to demure duchess.
