Catherine, Princess of Wales, Majorly Channeled Princess Diana in Her Look from This Weekend

Kate Middleton, Princess Diana — (Image credit: Getty)

The Prince and Princess of Wales were a house divided this weekend as they attended a rugby match between England and Wales in Cardiff yesterday. The Six Nations match saw England’s rugby team the Rugby Football Union—of which Kate is patron, taking over for brother-in-law Prince Harry last year—square off with the Welsh Rugby Union, of which Prince William is patron. (For the record, England came out victorious.)

But when it came to fashion, Kate kept it neutral, honoring the national colors of both teams in a white and red houndstooth coat by Catherine Walker, a rewear of a look she debuted during a January 2018 visit to Stockholm, Sweden, while pregnant with Prince Louis. In addition to paying homage to both rugby teams, she also gave a nod to mother-in-law Princess Diana, whose own Moschino suit bears more than a passing resemblance to Kate’s look.

Kate is no stranger to paying sartorial tributes to the woman who carried the Princess of Wales title before she did. Kate’s piece yesterday marks a bold throwback to classic Diana of the 1990s: Diana first wore the look to the christening of Princess Eugenie in December 1990, and then rewore the outfit—a white and red blazer and contrasting white and black skirt—on a number of occasions, including an official visit to Canada in October 1991 and to a visit to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London in March 1992. (Diana, for her part, added a red hat with black netting designed by Philip Somerville for the 1990 look, per Tatler; in 1991 the hat remained but the netting was gone, and in 1992, she opted for no hat.)

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“While Diana took sartorial risks, pairing her houndstooth creation with a wide-brimmed hat (complete with ultra-feminine veil), a wide patent leather belt, and red-tipped black pumps worthy of a Hollywood screen siren, Kate preferred to play it safe: opting to wear her coat over a black roll-neck with leather gloves, heeled boots, and a simple white handbag,” the outlet reports.

William and Kate appeared in good spirits, taking time to speak to players and their families before taking their seats in the stands. William himself used fashion to show his support for Wales, accessorizing his suit with a striped red tie and a red scarf, which he tucked into his blazer.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are longtime sports fans and have been attending rugby matches together as far back as 2007. They’ve attended numerous matches since and took eldest son Prince George to Six Nations last year.

And, while a keen fan of sports, Kate is also a fan of houndstooth, on display this weekend. She also wore a houndstooth look by Emilia Wickstead while visiting the U.S. recently, sporting the print at an engagement at Harvard last December.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.