Kate Middleton's Purple Oscar de la Renta Dress Is a Nod to Both Meghan Markle and Princess Diana

Clothing, Purple, Outerwear, Coat, Pink, Magenta, Fashion, Overcoat, Waist, Button, — (Image credit: Getty Images)

We're getting to lust over a ton of outfits as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle kick off 2019 with a flurry of outings. This morning, Kate paid a visit to the Royal Opera House to see how costumes are made, meet with principal dancers, and even sit in on a rehearsal. And it just so happens that she wore a beautiful fuchsia Oscar de la Renta dress (a rewear) similar to Meghan's Babaton by Aritizia purple dress of yesterday's visit to Birkenhead with Prince Harry.

What does this mean? Are Kate and Meghan coordinating, deliberately or unintentionally? Is it a nod to Meghan's style? Are the duchesses taking direction from the Queen, who loves to use bright colors to stand out to everyone who's come to see her? Could it just be...a coincidence?

Here's Kate Middleton's full outfit. It looks like she didn't wear a jacket out of the car (unlike Meghan, as you'll see below), letting the Oscar de la Renta dress, and her cool new shoes, take center stage.

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And as a reminder, here's Meghan's outfit from yesterday, which she paired with a gorgeous red Sentaler jacket.

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Meghan's look drew comparisons to similar purple looks by Princess Diana, and it looks like Kate is channeling Diana too. There's this beautiful light purple jacket with an all-black outfit to let the single color stand out:

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And then there's the bright, fashion-forward outfits Princess Diana also enjoyed during public events:

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Whatever the reason, both duchesses' looks are both vibrant and sweetly reminiscent.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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