All the Times Meghan Markle Dressed Just Like Princess Diana

Hair, Face, Beauty, Lip, Fashion, Hat, Fashion accessory, Headgear, Street fashion, Fashion model,

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 24 August 2019

Meghan Markle and Princess Diana have a strong connection where their style is concerned. On more than one occasion, the Duchess of Sussex has channeled the late royal's revered sense of fashion, wearing similar colors and garments. In fact, as fate would have it, Meghan actually dressed in a similar style to Diana since way before she even met Prince Harry. (We have photographic evidence.) Check out all the times these two fashionable ladies have matched and then, if you want more twinning moments, check out this gallery of Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa (opens in new tab) twinning. The sisters are pros at this.

1/20

When They Twined in Pinstripes

Stripes for days! Princess Diana arrived to a naval base in 1985 in a crisp pinstripe suit with a matching white hat. Meghan brought the same polished vibes with her Altuzarra belted dress in 2018 at a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum in central London.

2/20

When They Both Wore Yellow

Princess Diana looked amazing in yellow anytime she wore it—and so does Meghan. Here, in this 1995 pic, Princess Di rocked a marigold skirt suit set by Versace and carried a Dior bag. Meghan donned the sunny color in the form of a sleeveless Brandon Maxwell dress (opens in new tab) in 2018 for the ‘Your Commonwealth’ Youth Challenge Reception (opens in new tab).

3/20

Whey They Both Wore Blue, Floral Print Dresses

The two had a matching moment in blue floral dresses. Meghan chose an Oscar de la Renta gown for Princess Diana's niece's wedding (opens in new tab) in 2018. Princess Di herself wore this strapless pink and blue floral dress in 1989.

4/20

When They Twinned in White Sheath Dresses

White dresses can be scary to wear (stains! spills!) and hard to pull off, but the royals have no trouble stepping out in the color for important events. For day one of her Australia tour (opens in new tab), Meghan wore a Karen Gee white dress with her Stuart Weitzman nude heels. It echoed a Versace look that Princess Di wore back in 1995.

5/20

When They Rocked Blue Pleated Skirts

On day 16 of her royal tour last fall, Meghan wore a blue sweater and pleated skirt from Givenchy during a a walkabout in Rotorua, New Zealand. Princess Diana appeared to be a fan of this skirt style, as well; she wore a pleated baby blue skirt back in 1992 while in Egypt.

6/20

When They Wore Bold Stripes

Here Meghan is twinning with her future husband's mom and she didn't even know it yet. Prior to becoming a Duchess, Meghan left a taping at the Today show in this striped suit set. Princess Diana wore a very similar look back in 1985.

7/20

When They Rocked Polka Dots

Royals love a classic polka dot print. Princess Diana wore this pink dress by Catherine Walker to visit the Freemantle Hospital in 1989. Meghan donned a maroon polka dot dress (opens in new tab) from & Other Stories in 2018 while visiting the Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours.

8/20

When They Wore Pale Florals

Princess Diana wore a pretty beaded dress with the lightest floral print to a pre-auction party at Christies New York in 1997. Meghan choose a very similar printed dress from Brock Collection when she attended the Royal Variety Charity's Brinsworth House in 2018.

9/20

When They Rocked an Off-the-Shoulder Neckline

The Duchess pushes the boundaries when it comes to necklines as evidenced by this gorgeous pink Carolina Herrera dress (opens in new tab), which she wore to Trooping the Colour in 2018. Princess Di also didn't mind an off-the-shoulder look; she stepped out in this pink ballgown by Catherine Walker in 1987.

10/20

When They Wore Black and White—and Big Hats

For Meghan's first time at the Royal Ascot in 2018 (opens in new tab), she chose a white Givenchy collared dress and a black-and-white Philip Treacy hat. This color combo resembled an outfit Princess Di wore back in 1985 when she attended an event at the Flemington race course in Melbourne, Australia.

11/20

When They Wore Long, Royal Blue Coats

Diana and Meghan share the same favorite color palette—just check out this photo. The late princess glowed in a cobalt blue while attending The Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988. Similarly, Meghan wore the hue very well in this Smythe coat (opens in new tab) in 2018 when she arrived for an event to launch her charity cookbook.

12/20

When They Rocked the Halter Neck

You might have thought Meghan was daring to choose a halter neckline as her reception look on her wedding day, but Princess Diana rocked this style more than 20 years ago. She wore a light blue halter-neck dress for a reception at Spencer House in 1992.

13/20

When They Both Wore Berets

Royals love their hats and both ladies have worn stylish berets to match their outfits. Meghan wore a navy one in 2018 to mark the centenary of the Armistice. Princess Di wore a red beret in 1984 to christen a cruise ship.

14/20

When They Wore Plaid

When Meghan and Harry visited Edinburgh Castle in February 2018, she wore a green-and-navy plaid Burberry coat that resembled the dress in similar plaid shades that Diana wore to the Highland Games in 1987.

15/20

When They Twinned in Floor-Length Coats

On December 1, 2017, Meghan attended the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day Charity Fair at Nottingham Contemporary wearing an ankle-length navy overcoat. It bore a striking resemblance to a similar coat Diana wore Devonport on February 11, 1991.

16/20

When They Wore Button-Downs & Jeans

These royals have very similar off-duty style. In September 2017, Meghan dressed casually in a white button-down shirt and distressed jeans at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. Diana wore an almost-identical low-key outfit during 1997 visit to Bosnia.

17/20

When They Both Received Bindis

In January 2017, Meghan visited Delhi and Mumbai to volunteer her time and work with young girls. During the trip, Meghan wore a traditional bindi—Princess Diana also wore one when she visited India in 1992 for a charitable mission.

18/20

When They Twinned in Red V-Neck Dresses

For a July 2016 appearance on the Today Show—right around the time she met Harry—Meghan wore a bright red dress with a plunging v-shaped neckline. Diana wore a similar (albeit darker and longer) gown to a gala dinner in Washington, D.C. in October 1990.

19/20

When They Wore Lace Minidresses

Meghan wore this long-sleeved, blue lace mini-dress to USA Network's and The Moth's Storytelling Tour, A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power. Even though it was years before she met Prince Harry, she was already channeling Diana, who wore a similar dress to The Royal Albert Hall for a gala performance of La Boheme on February 1, 1996.

20/20

When They Wore Teal Gowns

In 2014, Meghan wore a stunning, floor-length teal gown to the Elton John AID's Foundation's 13th Annual Enduring Vision Benefit. She still wasn't a duchess at this point, but Meghan's gown looked a lot like the dress Diana wore to the Haunted premiere on October 26, 1995.

•••

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

SUBSCRIBE HERE (opens in new tab)

Marina Liao is the former fashion news editor at MarieClaire.com, where she covered celebrity style (from Meghan Markle to Katie Holmes), fashion trends, and shopping advice, plus conducted original interviews with industry insiders. She's also had many opportunities to write content in other areas such as beauty, food, tech, and even home. Her previous fashion stints include POPSUGAR and Cosmopolitan.