Kate Middleton paid homage to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The celebration – which honors not only Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne but also her birthday – kicked off Thursday with the annual Trooping the Colour procession and balcony viewing.
While the entire royal family — including the Queen, Kate’s three children and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall — all coordinated in shades of blue, Middleton, 40, opted for a white version of her favorite Alexander McQueen coat dress, paired with a navy Philip Treacy hat.
The Duchess of Cambridge also wore sapphire and diamond drop earrings, a matching necklace and her engagement ring, all of which belonged to Princess Diana.
Diana wore the same earrings to the 1996 Met Gala with a layered pearl necklace that featured a sapphire center and a navy slip dress honoring the Christian Dior theme.
It appears to have been among Diana’s favorite baubles, as she wore them on many other occasions, including a trip to the White House and an opera performance at the Munich Opera House.
Middleton’s white dress and contrasting hat may also be a reference to an outfit worn by Diana in 1991 to watch a parade of military personnel who had served in the Gulf War. Her white dress featured button closures and elbow-length sleeves, paired with a wide-brim, black-and-white hat.
Of course, Middleton wasn’t the only royal making references to the past. She also dressed her youngest son, 4-year-old Prince Louis, in the same nautical sailor suit Prince William wore to Trooping the Colour when he was just 2 years old.
Elder children Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 7, matched the theme in a blue suit and periwinkle dress, respectively.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth wore a powder blue coat with white embellishments and a coordinated hat, while Prince William, Prince Charles and Princess Anne all sported their military uniforms.
