Kate Middleton has seemingly paid homage to the Queen today by sporting a dress which is similar to a gown worn by Her Majesty during a tour of Australia in 1954.
The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out today in a custom lace Alexander McQueen dress as she joined Prince William at the Jamaica Defence Force Commissioning Parade on day six of their tour of the Caribbean.
Paired with a white cartwheel-style hat, the ensemble is reminiscent of an outfit worn by the monarch to a garden party in Sydney on her 1954 tour of Australia shortly after her coronation.
Kate, 40, even paid tribute to the Queen’s signature jewellery style by wearing a trio of pearls – which once belonged to Princess Diana – on her wrist.
Royal fans were quick to notice the similarities between the two outfits on Twitter, with one writing: ‘Okay, I cannot be the only person who saw Catherine’s new Alexander McQueen lace dress and also thought of Her Majesty’s iconic white lace dress she wore at a garden party in Australia in 1954?’
Her Majesty is pictured in a slim-fitting white lace dress while attending a garden party in Sydney, Australia during her first royal tour in February 1954
The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out today in a custom lace Alexander McQueen dress as she joined Prince William at the Jamaica Defence Force Commissioning Parade on day six of their tour of the Caribbean
Royal fans were quick to notice similarities between the two outfits, with the RoyalWikipedia Twitter pointing out the resemblance between the gowns
Her Majesty wore the demure, slim-fitting dress with a pair of white evening gloves and straw hat before leaving Sydney for Tasmania on the liner ‘SS Gothic’ in February 1954.
The monarch carried a white umbrella and black handbag with her ensemble, while Kate teamed the look with a £395 Anya Hindmarch pearl-embellished satin clutch.
While Her Majesty donned a black tulle hat with three white feathers, the Duchess opted for a fully white headpiece with a floral feature.
The Queen wore just one string of pearls, while Kate donned a piece belonging to the late Princess of Wales, worn in 1989 for an engagement in Hong Kong.
The royal mother-of-three (pictured) teamed her ensemble today with a stunning pearl bracelet that belonged to Princess Diana, while carrying her essentials in a £395 Anya Hindmarch pearl-embellished satin clutch
The Duchess wore the ensemble as she attended the inaugural commissioning parade for service personnel who have completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s officer training programme
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Programme
While Her Majesty donned black tulle hat with three white feathers, the Duchess opted for a fully white headpiece with a floral feature
Royal fans were quick to notice similarities between the two outfits, with the RoyalWikipedia Twitter account writing: ‘Okay, I cannot be the only person who saw Catherine’s new Alexander McQueen lace dress and also thought of Her Majesty’s iconic white lace dress she wore at a garden party in Australia in 1954?’
The Duchess wore the ensemble as she attended the inaugural commissioning parade for service personnel who have completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s officer training programme.
The couple’s trip to the region to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has been mired in controversy and reignited republican calls in Jamaica for independence.
Jamaican government insiders criticised William for failing to apologise for Britain’s historic role in the slave trade – despite calling the evil practice an ‘appalling atrocity’ and a ‘stain on our history’ during a humble address last night.
Kate wore Princess Diana’s bracelet (pictured). This isn’t the first time the Duchess has opted to wear the piece, having worn it at a summer reception in Germany in 2017 and a G7 summit reception in June 2021
Adding even more glitz to her ensemble, Kate donned a pair of dainty pear earrings to match the bracelet that the late Princess Diana wore in 1989 (pictured) for an engagement in Hong Kong
The duke denounced slavery as ‘abhorrent’, saying ‘it should never have happened’ as he addressed the issue following days of protests calling for reparations from the royal family.
William expressed his ‘profound sorrow’ at the forced transportation of millions of people from Africa to the Caribbean and North America – a trade which British monarchs either supported or profited from during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Speaking during his visit to Jamaica with Kate, he echoed the words of his father the Prince of Wales and went on to acknowledge Jamaica’s ‘pain’.
The Cambridges’ tour of Belize, Jamaica and the forthcoming final leg in the Bahamas has prompted demonstrations and statements calling for an apology from the royal family. The future king did not say sorry, just as his father Charles had not during his trip to witness Barbados become a republic.
But he praised the Windrush generation of Caribbeans who arrived in the UK a few years after the Second World War to help rebuild the nation depleted by six years of conflict.
Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness appeared to suggest his country may be the next country to break away from the monarchy, telling the Cambridges it was ‘moving on’ and intended to ‘fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country’.
The Independent has reported the Jamaican government has already begun the process to transition to a republic, with an official appointed to oversee the work.