Times Meghan Markle Channelled Princess Diana’s Style

Published on July 10, 2018. Updated April 15, 2019

Princess Diana was the entire world’s style muse during her reign as the Princess of Wales. Her fashion-forward outfits were so iconic that even years later fans still compare her looks to those of Kate Middleton and new royal family member Meghan Markle. Over the years both of these ladies have seemed to take a hint or two from Lady Diana and often channel her iconic style in their own outfits. Meghan Markle has done so quite often with her latest public appearances, so follow along for 10 times that Meghan Markle has channeled Princess Diana’s style:

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10. The Plaid Coat

As a royal, it’s tradition to honor the country you are visiting by dressing according to the country’s local colors. Princess Diana did so in February 1989 on a visit to Edinburgh. The plaid coat seemed to be one of her favorites and she donned it multiple times for public appearances to follow. Meghan Markle recently wore a similar coat from Burberry in shades of hunter green and navy on a similar trip to Scotland which was a clear nod to Diana’s look.

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9. The White Button-Up

Lady Diana was one of the first royals to show off the casual side of her fashion, and especially when she began to distance herself from the royal family following the announcement of Charles’ infidelity. Her go-to off-duty style consisted of a white button up and faded Levi’s denim, which is clearly also a go-to for Meghan Markle who wore a similar look for her first public appearance with Prince Harry. Markle rocked a breezy white button-up with distressed denim jeans which many deemed questionable, but we think Princess Diana would have been a big fan!

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8. The Black & White Hat

Despite her transition from Hollywood icon to a royal figure, Meghan Markle has a surprisingly strong sense of style for someone who’s a newbie to royal hats and fascinators! We especially love this sophisticated black and white hat she wore for her recent debut at the Royal Ascot. Princess Diana wore a similar black-and-white hat during an appearance at Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1992.

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7. The Red Dress

Both Meghan Markle and Princess Diana are clear fans of a classic red dress! Meghan Markle wore this dress long before her marriage to Prince Harry, but we can’t help but notice the resemblance to Princess Diana’s scarlet number from 1983. Although the shades of red slightly differ, both dresses have a similar v-cut neckline and cinch in at the waist to flatter their figures.

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6. The Pink Off-The-Shoulder Number

Avid fans of the royal family immediately noted the resemblance between this off-the-shoulder dress worn by Meghan Markle to a similar look of Princess Diana’s! There’s no question that Markle channeled a modern version of Lady Diana’s look which featured an identical off-the-shoulder neckline, soft pink color, and buttons trailing down the left side of the dress.

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5. The Halter Dress

It’s common for royal women to change into something a little more party-appropriate after their official civil marriage ceremony and Meghan Markle did exactly that! Many viewers were actually bigger fans of her reception dress than her actual wedding gown with its simplistic body-hugging shape and chic halter neckline. We can’t help but notice that the look is quite similar to a party look worn by Princess Diana which featured the same crisp shade of white and an identical halter neckline.

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4. The Navy & White Outerwear

During her royal engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle stepped out wearing this sleek navy wool coat which featured white detailing along the hemlines. The look was a clear nod to Princess Diana and her style since Diana wore a nearly identical look back in 1996 while boarding an airplane. Meghan’s is a more modern take on the style with the trendy wrap tie and sleek shape.

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3. The Navy Hat

Hats, fascinators, and tiaras are a fashion must-have once entering the royal family and Meghan Markle seems to be adjusting to this trend seamlessly! She’s had quite a few stellar hat moments so far, but one of our favorites is this simple wide-brim navy hat that she paired with a faded charcoal coat. Her style is quite simple in comparison to Diana’s statement looks, so it’s not surprising that she opted for a simple hat rather than one with white ribbon detailing like Diana’s.

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2. The Little Black Dress

The little black dress has been an icon ever since Audrey Hepburn took the screen as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s! Even the royals have staple little black dresses in their wardrobe and this black off-the-shoulder number of Diana’s has been noted as one of her most memorable fashion moments of all time. The dress was coined the “revenge dress” since she wore it the night that Prince Charles confessed his infidelity. Before her connection to Prince Harry, Markle donned a remarkably similar look that was strapless and featured a side wrap detailing on one side.

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1. The Lace Dress

Before becoming an official royal, Meghan Markle donned this red carpet look to an event complete with a long-sleeve lace mini dress in a rich shade of navy. As a royal figure, we’re not sure a look like this would fly nowadays with the Queen, but that didn’t stop Lady Diana! She wore a nearly identical number that was even amped up with some sparkle back in 1996.

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