Princess Diana and Meghan Markle both wore tartan outfits when they were in Scotland. Tartan is the country’s traditional pattern, and the royal brides, inadvertently, paid tribute with their outfits. Princess Diana’s elegant plaid dress had playful details, like a white lace pilgrim collar and a black bow. Meghan’s outfit had a similar pattern and came together with the refined pairings of a dark tartan coat, a Wolford turtleneck, and Veronica Beard pants.
She accessorized it with a Strathberry crossbody bag and heels. The tartan coat was from Burberry, one of the most luxurious brands in the world, and notably a British brand, signifying that she was embracing British labels as a soon-to-be royal bride. Diana wore this outfit in 1987 during the Bute Highland Games, while Meghan wore it on her way to Edinburgh Castle a little over two decades later in 2008. Prince Harry and Meghan were engaged at the time.

The royal women have worn pleated skirts on a couple of occasions, and blue seems to be their color. Princess Diana wore a pleated blue skirt while on a trip to Egypt in the summer of May 1992. With a lovely belt detail on her waist, a large collar dazzling in the sun, and a clutch and statement earrings, she walked alongside the then First Lady of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak. She visited the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Blind in the country’s capital, Cairo.
Meghan Markle put her own spin on Princess Diana’s style and donned a deep-blue skirt with two-panel pleats. She was photographed wearing a royal blue top and a Givenchy skirt while in Rotorua, New Zealand, in October 2018. Some reports mentioned that the skirt appeared to be semi-sheer when the light hit, but that detail was brushed aside as an illusion caused by the play of the light and dark blue panels.

Markle, who was pregnant with Archie, wore a red coat and purple dress to an event in Birkenhead in 2019. The unusual color palette was most likely inspired. The $138 Aritzia dress and $1,395 Sentaler coat, along with Stuart Weitzman heels, made her look quite the part. Markle accessorized her outfit with a brown purse and a pair of gold earrings.
This outfit reminded us of one of Princess Diana’s looks back in the day. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Diana was known for experimenting with contrasting colors. She simply had a talent for it. In 1989, she wore a vibrant outfit in Hong Kong that made the front page everywhere. This was when she and Prince Charles were photographed and greeted by Hong Kong Governor Sir David Wilson when they arrived in the colony. She wore the outfit throughout a couple of events. We got glimpses of the dress as the royal couple enjoyed a display of the Chinese pageantry.

The five-day horse racing event at the Royal Ascot involves a grand procession, a singalong around the Bandstand, and royal women dressed in a la mode attire. So we were not surprised when Meghan graced the event looking like her fashionable self. The elegant outfit that Meghan Markle wore was reminiscent of one of Princess Diana’s looks in 1985. The Royal Ascot maintains a stringent code of attire, so it is no wonder that Meghan Markle chose classic colors for her debut at the elite horse race. Her striking black and white Givenchy outfit was matched with a Philip Treacy fascinator.
In 1985, Diana was an image of royalty in her white and black outfit at the Royal Ascot. Diana carried a minimalistic black clutch and wore jet black gloves, while Meghan was seen with black heels and a black and gold clutch with a big jewel on top. Their hats were similar, too, with Markle’s being more angular and dramatic. Diana often attended the yearly ceremony alongside Prince Charles and one of her closest friends, Duchess York.

This was a high society moment for Diana and Meghan as they walked through a formal event in their red ensemble. The similarities between the two are too obvious to pass up as a simple coincidence. Diana’s gown and cape-like detail were by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Meghan’s full-length cape-gown, on the other hand, was by London-based label Safiyaa. Diana wore the Spencer Tiara–a family heirloom–a neckpiece and earrings that looked as opulent as the gown.
Meghan accessorized her outfit with a pair of fiery red Stuart Weitzman pumps, a Manolo Blahnik clutch, and ruby red earrings. Meghan was attending the Mountbatten Music Festival along with Prince Harry. This was a fundraiser for the Royal Marines Association, and also the last time we would possibly see Prince Harry in his full military uniform. So Meghan made sure she matched her husband’s gorgeous and striking armor with one of her own, and what better way than to take inspiration from his mother’s natural elegance.

Here’s a side by side of Diana in an emerald green dress and netted hat and Meghan in a similar color cape dress and a William Chambers hat. Meghan’s dress was by the New Zealand fashion designer Emilia Wickstead, and her stiletto pumps were from Aquazzura. She also carried a Gabriela Hearst handbag along to complete the outfit. We see traces of her look in Diana’s outfit, especially with the netted fascinator and the deep green color.
Diana’s dress had puff sleeves and buttons and was textured around the collar. She also was seen wearing her favorite three-strand pearl choker with the beautiful floral-design clasp. Fun fact: this necklace was a gift to her from her family on her 18th birthday. Now, the choker is probably worth millions of dollars. Diana wore this look for the 1982 Trooping the Colour, a tradition of British infantry regiments, while Meghan wore it for the 2020 Commonwealth Day Service in London. This was Markle’s last appearance as a senior member of the family, and she also paid tribute to Princess Diana before making her exit!

In October 2018, Markle wore a white dress and accessorized it with Diana’s jewels, emulating the princess’s classic minimalistic style. Markle accompanied Prince Harry to Sydney, Australia, in a sleeveless dress with a tight waist and knee-length skirt. She was also wearing Princess Diana’s butterfly-shaped earrings. She wore them with brown shoes and a gold bracelet. During a 1995 tour to Argentina, the Princess of Wales wore a very identical outfit. She was dressed in a sleeveless white dress with a tight waist, albeit the skirt seemed shorter than Markle’s.
Diana accessorized her look with black shoes, a black handbag, and a strand of statement pearls. Markle’s Austria tour had garnered buzz after Prince Harry revealed in the interview with Oprah that it marked a moment of change for the royal family. “They were, they were really welcoming (of Meghan)…But it really changed after the Australia tour,” said Prince Harry. He was referring to Diana being accepted by the country at large during her Wales’ 1983 tour of Australia. It looked like Meghan was following her footsteps, outfit and all.

Regal, opulent, and elegance rolled into not one but two outfits, set apart by decades. Markle donned a custom green Erdem coat and matching dress to a Commonwealth Day ceremony at Canada House in London, two months before Archie was born. The outfit was put together by a Canadian designer and was created to commemorate her time especially spent filming Suits in Canada. Small flower patterns composed of black sequins adorned the dress. Her much-loved Aquazzura Deneuve heels and an elite Givenchy clutch completed the outfit.
Years ago, the Princess of Wales was seen in a similar maternity outfit by Bellville Sassoon and a matching John Boyd hat while she was six months pregnant with Prince William. Both outfits had similar sleeves and collar embroidery elements; however, Markle’s had black beading, and Diana’s had dark swirl patterns in velvet embellishments over the neckline and bodice. The color and the design give away that this look was no coincidence.