CULTURE

Kate Middleton Pays Homage to Princess Diana in Red Houndstooth Coat

She referenced one of her late mother-in-law's favorite suits.


The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit Sweden And Norway - Day 2
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Kate Middleton may not have ever had the chance to meet Princess Diana but she’s found ways to pay homage to her late mother-in-law. Her latest nod to Prince William’s mother? Referencing a look she loved so much she wore multiple times — a royal rarity. Today, while in the midst of her first royal tour to Sweden and Norway, Middleton wore a red houndstooth coat that recalled one Princess Diana wore on at least three occasions.

While Middleton opted to wear the wintery material as a knee-length coat, Diana wore it in a contrasting red and black suit by Moschino. The late royal first wore the look designed by fashion bad boy Franco Moschino himself on December 23, 1990 while escorting Prince William to the christening of his cousin, the newly engaged Princess Eugenie. She later stepped out in the Moschino suit another two times: in 1991 during a royal tour in Canada, when she paired it with the same veiled red hat, and in 1992, after the white and black ribbon lacing the jacket had been replaced with a black one.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – JANUARY 31: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits Matteusskolan School to join children who have taken part in the YAM programme during one of their mental health activity sessions on day two of their royal visit to Sweden and Norway on January 31, 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden.

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SANDRINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 23: Princess Diana Holding Onto Her Hat At Sandringham While Meeting Disabled People In Wheelchairs Who Have Come To See The Royal Family.

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Meanwhile, Kate paired the look with a burgundy Chanel bag and matching gloves to visit Stockholm’s Matteusskolan School and meet children who participate in the YAM program which focuses on mental health — a cause Prince William has made his own, as he discussed in the British documentary Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia last August. “We need to normalize the conversation about mental health. The fact that you are speaking out is incredibly brave,” he said. When asked by Austin whether he’s proud of his mother for speaking out about her struggles, William said, “Absolutely. These are illnesses. Mental health needs to be taken as seriously as physical health.” Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with Prince Harry, have also advocated for mental health awareness with the Heads Together Campaign.

Princess Diana no doubt would be proud of that effort — and she would have approved of Middleton according to Prince William. “It’s the one time since she’s died where I’ve thought to myself, ‘It would be fantastic if she was here,’ and just how sad really for her, more than anything, not being able to see it,” he said of his 2011 wedding day back in May of 2012, as Us Weekly reported. “I think she would have loved the day, and I think, hopefully, she’d be very proud. I’m just very sad that she’s never going to get a chance to meet Kate [Middleton].”

Revisit Princess Diana’s Best Style Moments on What Would Have Been Her 58th Birthday

Princess Diana outside her flat in Coleherne Court, London, December 1980. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana in a dress by Cojana with Prince Charles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on the day they announced their engagement, February 1981. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana with Prince Charles at Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral Estate, May 1981. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana at a polo match in Windsor after the Ascot races, June 1981. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

A pregnant Princess Diana during a trip to the Isles of Scilly, April 1982. Photo by Kypros/Getty Images.

Kypros

Princess Diana wearing the colors of Canada during a state visit to Edmonton, Alberta, June 1983. Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images.

Bettmann

Princess Diana in a Smith’s Lawn sweater with Prince Charles at a polo meeting at Windsor, June 1983. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana at the Melbourne airport, October 1985. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana on holiday in the south of France, 1985. Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage.

Anwar Hussein

Princess Diana in a Bruce Oldfield dress during a visit to Venice, May 1985. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana outside Highgrove with her son Harry, July 1986. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana on holiday in Majorca, Spain, August 1987. Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images.

Georges De Keerle

Princess Diana at a Berlin Opera House gala performance in a gown by Catherine Walker, November 1987. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana and Prince Charles at the Munich Opera House, November 1987. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana at a state reception in Melbourne, October 1988. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana in a Catherine Walker gown at a dinner at the British Embassy in Paris during her official visit to France, November 1988. Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images.

Georges De Keerle

Princess Diana in a Catherine Walker suit and a Philip Somerville hat in Kuwait City, United Arab Emirates during her official tour of the Gulf States, March 1989. Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images.

Georges De Keerle

Princess Diana at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, March 1989. Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images.

Georges De Keerle

Princess Diana in a dress by Catherine Walker at the London Coliseum for a performance of Swan Lake by the Bolshoi Ballet, July 1989. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana at Claridges for a state banquet, July 1989. Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images.

Julian Parker

Princess Diana with her sons William and Harry at Wetherby School on Harry’s first day, September 1989. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana in Budapest during her official visit to Hungary, May 1990. Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images.

Georges De Keerle

Princess Diana and her son Harry at Windsor Chapel for the wedding of Lady Helen Windsor and art dealer Tim Taylor, July 1992. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana in a gown by Christina Stambolian at the Serpentine Gallery in London, June 1994. Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images.

Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana with her sons William and Harry on the day Harry joined Eton, September 1995. Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage.

Anwar Hussein

Princess Diana in a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt at the Chelsea Harbour Club in London, November 1995. Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage.

Anwar Hussein

Princess Diana at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute dinner dance in Sydney, October 1996. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images.

Tim Graham

Princess Diana at the Chelsea Harbour Health Club in London, May 1997. Photo by Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images.

Antony Jones

Princess Diana in a Jacques Azagury dress at the English National Ballet performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in London, June 1997. Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images.

Anwar Hussein
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