Kate Middleton Recreates Princess Diana's Polka Dot Outfit While Wearing Late Royal's Earrings
Kate Middleton is taking a page out of Princess Diana's style file.
On Friday, Kate and Prince William made their 2022 Royal Ascot debut in the carriage processional at the iconic horse race. While Prince William looked dapper in a top hat and suit, Kate sported a brown and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich paired with a hat featuring floral details on top by Sally-Ann Provan.
Back in 1986, Princess Diana also chose to wear a polka dot ensemble to a different horse racing event: the Epsom Derby. Diana picked a white dress featuring the classic pattern by Victor Edelstein along with a similarly dotted hat by Frederick Fox for the outing.
Polka dots have been a go-to style for Kate in recent months, also choosing the pattern for Prince Philip's memorial service in March and a Platinum Jubilee celebration earlier this month.
RELATED: Every Time Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Have Worn Princess Diana's Jewelry
Chris Jackson/Getty; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Kate Middleton; Princess Diana
Kate, 40, also gave a nod to her late mother-in-law by accessorizing with the South-Sea pearl earrings that previously belonged to Diana. The Princess of Wales wore the jewels on many occasions during the 1990s, including an English National Ballet Gala Performance in Budapest in 1992 when she paired the earrings with the Spencer Tiara.
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Princess Diana
Prince William, 39, and Prince Harry, 37, inherited their mother's amazing jewelry collection, and now their wives have been spotted wearing the sentimental pieces. Most famously, Prince William proposed to Kate with the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that belonged to Princess Diana, and Kate is rarely seen without the piece.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle's engagement ring is made up of three diamonds, with one large stone in the center flanked by two smaller stones on the sides. The two side stones are from Princess Diana's personal collection.
Anwar Hussein/WireImage Princess Diana
Earlier this month, Kate debuted a pair of dazzling pair of sapphire and diamond earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana at Trooping the Color.
"This is the first time we've seen Kate wear this pair of earrings in public," Lauren Kiehna, writer of The Court Jeweller blog, tells PEOPLE, explaining why it was such a significant reveal.
For the last ten years, Kate has worn a smaller pair of sapphire and diamond earrings that there widely believed to have been fashioned using the very same pair that Kate wore for Thursday's parade. Because the original pair had not been seen since Diana's death, the rumor continued to circulate, although Kiehna was always adamant that the earrings were two separate pairs.
Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour 2022
Kate and Prince William's appearance at Royal Ascot comes amid sweltering heat. With temperatures reaching 90 degrees, men were allowed to remove their jackets and ties as the Ascot authorities relaxed the dress code (it's the first time men have been able to go tie-less!). All spectators were also permitted to bring water and soft drinks into the arena.
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Tim Rooke/Shutterstock Kate Middleton and Prince William
Given the weather, it was perhaps unsurprising that Queen Elizabeth skipped Royal Ascot for the fourth day in a row. However, there's still a chance she'll make an appearance at the annual event on Saturday.
