Kate Middleton May Be Following Princess Diana's Legacy Through One Tactful Move, Expert Claims
Kate Middleton is a style icon in her own right, but she may be on her way to create a legacy like her mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
When Kate Middleton married into the royal family in 2011, she served as a reminder of Princess Diana to many people across the world. And over the years, the now-Princess of Wales has given countless sartorial tributes to her predecessor and mother-in-law by wearing her accessories or recreating her outfits. Recently, expert Nilesh Rakholia said that Middleton was in the 'early stages' of building a Diana-like legacy through jewelry. And both women seemingly followed the same tactful move.
Diana was not only a style icon but also able to make a “visual identity” for herself through fashion, a feat even the most celebrated names find difficult. And she did that through consistency. Rakholia revealed that “seeing the same pendant or the same earrings appear again at moments like this builds a quiet familiarity over time”.
Public memory continues to associate certain looks, styles, accessories, or even tiaras with the People’s Princess. As the expert rightly continued via Marie Claire, “Think about Princess Diana. Mention her name and certain pieces come to mind almost instantly—her sapphire engagement ring, the pearl choker she wore so often it became part of her visual identity. That association wasn’t built in a single appearance—it took years of repetition.”
Diana’s daughter-in-law now follows the same move. Middleton often wears the late royal’s three-strand pearl bracelet, her Collingwood pearl drop earrings, her four-string pearl choker, amongst other pieces, including, of course, her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring. Even the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, often worn by Diana, is arguably the future queen’s favorite tiara.
Although Middleton often gives subtle nods to her mother-in-law, she has developed her style sensibilities as well. Her ruby and diamond earrings, as well as her Van Cleef and Arpels earrings, stole the show at Wimbledon last weekend. Her Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch is quite famous. Middleton also often opts for her Kiki McDonough amethyst earrings. But more recently, the mother-of-three frequently sports homemade friendships believed to be made by her daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Rakholia said, “I think we may be watching the early stages of the same thing happen with Kate and her ruby pieces. It’s still early days by comparison, but the same quiet, cumulative process that made certain jewelry inseparable from Diana’s image seems to be underway.” Middleton is easily one of the most popular royals in the family right now, much like how Diana was. Now it appears that the two women share many more stylistic similarities as well.
Apart from a tasteful jewelry collection, the one thing that Middleton helped popularise in the modern era was recycling outfits. She proudly re-wears the same pieces for years without making them feel repetitive. The Princess of Wales cleverly pairs the outfits with different accessories, hairstyles, and at times even tweaks the design, making the attire look completely different each time she sports it.
