Kate Middleton’s James Bond Premiere Look Was a Tribute to Princess Diana

Kate Middleton is always stunning, but the Jenny Packham gown she wore to the premiere of the new James Bond film No Time to Die on September 29 was above and beyond glam. Headlines all over the world expounded on Kate’s gorgeous look (opens in new tab)—how she stole the show (opens in new tab), how she looked “extra royal (opens in new tab),” and how she radiated a Princess Diana vibe (opens in new tab). And on that last point, according to Us Weekly (opens in new tab), the comparisons to Diana were very much intentional.

The publication quotes a “source close to the duchess” who explained that Kate “wanted to pay homage to [Diana] on the night of the No Time to Die premiere by channeling the dress Diana wore at the View To A Kill premiere.”

And it’s true that, in 1985, Princess Diana attended the premiere of the James Bond film View to a Kill in a sparkling, show-stopping silver dress that looked remarkably similar in some ways to the dress Kate donned:

But, per the publication’s source, it would be incorrect to say that Kate was trying to fill Diana’s shoes in any way—only that the look was done as a symbol of admiration for Prince William’s late mother. And it’s a style inspiration that’s gone back a long time for Kate, according to the source: “Kate admired Diana’s taste in fashion before William came into her life...During her school days she’d tell friends that Diana was her style icon.

We have to say, it seems like she would have made Diana very proud with the look:

Plus, the source says, Kate’s ultra glam style had some added benefits to the royal family in general. “William was in awe of Kate as she led the way down the red carpet, interacting with fans and Charles and Camilla," they said. "[She was] giving a sense of unity and showing the world that the royal family is still thriving.”

There’s a bit of a tradition of members of the royal family attending the premiere of James Bond movies—the Queen even reportedly admitted (opens in new tab) to seeing every single film during her reign.