Princess Kate's sweet nod to Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour
Jennifer Hassan
LONDON- Princess Kate paid homage to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana on Saturday, dazzling in a pale blue and white outfit for Trooping the Colour, the official birthday parade of King Charles III.
Kate's powder-blue coat, with its white trim and button detail, was designed by Catherine Walker, a French-born designer whose designs were frequently worn by Princess Diana in the 90s.
In fact, it was an almost exact replica to a design Diana wore in 1987.
Saturday's celebrations marked the 45th anniversary of Diana's first-ever Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1981, which took place a month before she married Charles. For her debut, Lady Diana Spencer, who was just 19 at the time, opted for a blue floral outfit, created by British designer Bill Pashley.
At 1981's Trooping the Colour, Diana rode in a carriage with former Prince Andrew, as her husband-to-be Prince Charles was riding on horseback as part of the processional. The event was memorable not just for Diana's debut but also for a shocking incident in which a teenager armed with a replica pistol shot at Queen Elizabeth II as she rode past on horseback.
The shots startled the Queen's horse, but she was able to quickly bring it back under control.
He fired six blank cartridges before being overcome by a Guardsman and police, British media reported.
Kate, who has been married to Diana's son William for 15 years, often pays tribute to her late mother-in-law through her clothing and jewelry choices, from double-breasted coat dresses to pearl-drop earrings. And like the late princess, she also often rewears her fashion looks.
Diana first donned her Catherine Walker powder-blue coat at Easter services, where she escorted Prince William and her nephew, Peter Phillips, in 1987. When she chose the look again, she wore it without a cream blouse underneath, and paired it with a pearl necklace.
Last weekend, Kate attended a family wedding wearing a pearl bracelet previously owned by Diana, and of course her sapphire engagement ring is the same ring Diana received from Charles when he proposed.