Side By Side: Kate And Carole Middleton's Most Iconic Looks Compared

Carole Middleton and her daughter, Catherine, Princess of Wales, have many things in common, and one of them is their sense of fashion. Like mother, like daughter. Over the years, the two have repeatedly shown their fondness for certain colors, cuts, and styles. On rare occasions, they've even worn the same exact outfit. It's no big surprise. Catherine is famously very close with her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, so it's completely understandable that Carole and Catherine would swap fashion ideas. And both women have big budgets for their clothing. Catherine receives an income from the Sovereign Grant, funded by the Crown Estate, so that explains her fabulous wardrobe of bespoke and designer pieces. Carole and Michael share an incredibly lavish life of their own, thanks to their successful party supply business, which explains how Carole can dress so finely. 

Both mother and daughter look great in their twinning outfits. After all, Carole is aging like fine wine, looking more and more like Catherine's older sister every day. So it makes sense that as Catherine has gotten older, she and her mother are mimicking each other's styles more often. People often exert independence first by rebelling against their parents, but then eventually turn into their parents. For Catherine and Carole, this is very true. 

Catherine, Princess of Wales, kept things business casual when she made a visit to the Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in early July 2025. It was a significant visit for the princess because she talked about her cancer treatment. Hopeful as always, Catherine spoke about what her cancer-free future would look like. For the occasion, Catherine wore brown trousers with white sneakers, a beige-toned Blazé Milano pinstriped blazer over a brown and white Ralph Lauren Collection button-up blouse. She kept her jewelry minimal and wore her hair long in sumptuous, relaxed curls. 

Meanwhile, Carole Middleton showed her love of stripes only one month later. At Wimbledon, on July 7, 2025, Carole strutted her stuff for the eighth day of the championships. Carole and Michael Middleton sat in the Royal Box together, near other royals like Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Carole wore a brown and white striped dress by Beulah London featuring a drop waist. She kept things demure but fun and playful, fastening the top button of her collar and occasionally wearing Chanel sunglasses. While Carole wore a dress and Catherine wore a button-down shirt, the two clearly thought that stripes were the print of the summer. 

Clearly, Carole Middleton and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are buck wild for pink. The mother and daughter stepped out on two different occasions wearing the exact same dress. The silk dress, by ME+EM, features a shirt collar with a pleated front panel and a removable belt in two tones of bubblegum pink. Catherine has worn the dress more than once. The first time she walked out in the pink look was to visit Mila Sneddon, a young cancer patient in Scotland, in May 2021. Mila was part of a photo project called "Hold Still," and she and Catherine spoke on the phone. "I'll have to make sure I try and find a pink dress," Catherine said to Mila, per Marie Claire. "Hopefully when, one day, hopefully, Mila, we'll get to meet, and then I'll remember to wear my pink dress for you." Sure enough, when Catherine got to meet Mila, she wore this iconic ME+EM dress. Catherine wore the dress again in May 2023 when she attended the Children's Picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show. 

Meanwhile, Carole wore the same ME+EM dress to the Royal Ascot races in June 2022. Carole opted for a different mode of accessorizing. She carried a black clutch and wore a black fascinator with a mesh screen as well as pearl drop earrings, adding an element of sophistication to the cheerful dress.

Both Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton are big fans of butter yellow, the color that's dominating the quiet luxury fashion trend. Catherine showed her trendy side by wearing the pastel yellow for the first time on June 3, 2022, for the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations at St. Paul's Cathedral. Her Emilia Wickstead dress featured a crossover detail on the bust and cut off at a midi length. Catherine is a lover of repeating pieces and wore the dress again at a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2025, changing up her fascinator ever so slightly. Both times, she paired the cheerful dress with nude heels and a nude clutch. 

Meanwhile, Carole wore a similar style of dress in the exact same color to the Royal Ascot in June 2025. Carole wore a lace midi dress by ME+EM, featuring a keyhole neckline and long, lace-covered sleeves. Carole made the look even dressier by wearing a large, lace-trimmed sunhat. She paired the two-tiered dress with white heels and a soft white clutch. Both women looked festive and cheerful in their yellow dresses. 

Despite their dwindling popularity, skinny jeans count as one of a long list of clothing items that Catherine, Princess of Wales, can't live without. There's no doubt she's gotten the memo that skinny jeans are passé, but she continues to wear the tight denim to her heart's content. It's not like Catherine wears them to royal functions; rather, when she's attending a more casual event or on an off-duty day with her family, we see the princess running around in her dark denim. We've seen her in black denim by the brand Frame; she's also worn the Revolve Black Jeans by Zara, as well as jeans by Mother. So Catherine has no shortage of slacks to choose from in this particular cut, however much Gen Z has deemed it out of style. 

We can see where Catherine gets her devotion to skinny jeans. Her mother, Carole Middleton, is also a fan of the tight denim and has worn different washes of the jeans on numerous occasions. In an Instagram post for her business, Party Pieces, in March 2022, Carole was photographed wearing blue skinny jeans and a nautical sweater from Zara. When Carole and Michael Middleton commented on the engagement announcement for their daughter and Prince William in a video clip, Carole was wearing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. In fact, her jeans were so tight that the Daily Mail roasted her shortly thereafter for trying to dress like her daughters.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her mother, Carole Middleton, have a huge soft spot not only for midi dresses, but midi dresses in baby blue. In fact, Catherine loves the look so much that she did a complete repeat of a beloved outfit. In 2019, she attended the Royal Ascot wearing a pale blue Elie Saab dress that featured a lace overlay, sheer sleeves, and a pussy bow neck tie. She wore silver heels, a silver clutch, and a Philip Treacy hat that matched the tone of her dress perfectly. She completed the outfit with a pair of blue topaz and diamond drop Kiki McDonough earrings. Years later, at the 2023 Buckingham Palace garden party, Catherine wore the exact same outfit, re-wearing everything from the dress to the hat to the shoes. In fact, the only thing she changed was her earrings, opting instead for a pair of diamond drop circles. Hey, if it ain't broke ... 

Meanwhile, Carole went for almost the exact same outfit when she attended the Royal Ascot in June 2024. Carole wore a pale blue midi dress by Self Portrait, which featured many details that were similar to those of the dress previously worn by her daughter. While Carole's dress had dark flowers in its print, both dresses had pussy bow necks and sheer sleeves. Even the lengths of their sleeves were the same. Carole also opted for a tonal, floral fascinator. 

Both Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton have reached for very similar versions of royal blue coat dresses with monochromatic headpieces and clutches. Catherine wore her take on this look for the first time at the Commonwealth Day service in March 2022. She wore the sapphire blue Catherine Walker coatdress with a pillbox hat in the same tone along with a pair of navy heels. Catherine wore the coatdress again at the Royal Easter Service in April 2023 at St. George's Chapel, this time wearing nude heels and a different type of hat, one that featured a jaunty bow on the side of her head. 

Meanwhile, Carole took notes and replicated her daughter's look for King Charles III's coronation in May 2023. Carole's dress, called the "Katrine" dress, came from the same brand, Catherine Walker. Even down to the nude heels, Carole replicated Catherine's Easter look. She also wore a tonal headpiece. Their fashion has evolved together. As Catherine has finessed her royal wardrobe, Carole has taken note and followed the same steps: the nude heels that elongate the legs. They've both started wearing monochromatic looks. The lengths of skirts and dresses have grown much longer, and the two women typically wear midi-length now, whereas in the past, both women preferred shorter dresses and skirts. Carole's coronation look captures how much she's learned from her daughter's own fashion journey. 

The arrival of Prince George on July 22, 2013, was met with polka dots by the women in his life. Catherine, Princess of Wales, gave birth to him at St. Mary's Hospital in London. The day after he was born, Catherine and Prince William stepped out of the St. Mary's Lindo Wing to present George to the world. Catherine wore a blue and white polka dot Jenny Packham dress, a brand that she would continue to wear for the presentation of her other two children as well following their births. The loose, breezy fabric was no doubt a comfort to the newly postpartum mother. 

Carole Middleton channeled the same polka dot energy when she arrived at the hospital in 2013 after Catherine gave birth to George. For the new baby visit, Carole wore a gray dress, and while the print read as polka dots, the white flecks were actually small flowers. Carole's dress was from the Irish designer Orla Kiely and featured a tie at the waist. Both Catherine and Carole were actually doing something historic and sentimental by channeling the polka dot print. Princess Diana also gave birth at St. Mary's Hospital in London, and she emerged in June 1982 to present the newly born William to the world in a teal polka dot dress. So there was something very nostalgic about the fact that both Catherine and Carole chose that print for the birth of George. 

Blue coatdresses really hit the spot for both Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton. The two gals just cannot get enough of knee-length, icy blue coatdresses with matching hats. For the Easter Sunday service in 2019, which happened to also be the late Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, Catherine arrived at St. George's Chapel in Windsor with Prince William. She opted for a powder blue Alexander McQueen coatdress and a darker blue fascinator by Jane Taylor. This coat is another re-wear for Catherine, who first donned the pale blue fit when she was visiting Australia in 2014. Catherine wore it to an Easter Sunday service in Sydney.

As for Carole, she has also donned a number of different pale blue coatdresses, but perhaps her most famous look was the very one she wore to Catherine and William's wedding in April 2011. Carole wore a pale blue, knee-length coatdress and a hat by Hans Corbett to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Carole opted for a brand that's been a longtime favorite of women in the royal family: Catherine Walker. Princess Diana loved the brand, as does Catherine. The dress looked very festive and polished on Carole, a fitting choice for such a notable day.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton both prove that simplicity can sometimes be the best choice. While it's rare to see either woman step out in a purely casual outfit, both women kept things more muted with simple, white, knee-length dresses. When Catherine visited the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on June 10, 2014, she opted for something easy and effortless. She wore a white sheath dress by Jaeger that featured black trim along the waist and arms. She carried a simple, black clutch and wore her hair down in long, loose curls. 

Carole kept things just as simple when she attended Wimbledon in 2019. She arrived in a comfortable, relaxed sheath dress in white that featured a scoop neck and sleeves. To make the outfit a little more luxurious, Carole carried a Chanel handbag and wore nude, strappy sandals. And very appropriate for Wimbledon, Carole rocked a pair of sunglasses to make watching the sport that much more enjoyable. 

On one memorable occasion, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton wore nearly identical outfits while out together. This incredible feat of sartorial matching occurred the day before Catherine's wedding to Prince William in April 2011. On April 10, 2011, Catherine, Carole, and Catherine's sister Pippa Middleton checked into the glamorous Goring Hotel, a five-star hotel in the heart of Belgravia, an elegant neighborhood in London. 

As the three women got out of the car and greeted fans who were waiting outside, it was striking to see how similarly Catherine and Carole were dressed. In fact, all three women were dressed like one another, opting for blazers over dresses, and all of their dresses were cropped just above the knees. However, Carole and Catherine both wore neutral, cream blazers with three-quarter sleeves over black dresses. Pippa wore flats, but both Carole and Catherine opted for heels, and Catherine wore her signature wedges. Of course, Catherine's dress had white polka dots, but she and Carole still looked like they were cut from similar cloth.

Merlot-toned winter coats are the name of the game for Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton. The two women have worn very similar coats in almost the exact same length, both of them for the Royal Carols: Together at Christmas events. Catherine wore her burgundy coat to Westminster Abbey in December 2022 in a bespoke design by Epinone. She accessorized her coat dress with tonal gloves and a burgundy clutch. The whole royal family attended the holiday event in a show of support for Catherine, who hosted the Christmas carols. 

It's no wonder then that every year, the Middleton family has made an appearance at the Together at Christmas events. In December 2021, Carole arrived wearing a long, burgundy coat paired with black heels and tights. She was joined by her husband, Michael Middleton, and the rest of the Middleton crew, all dressed festively for Christmas. Typically, it's Catherine who sets a trend, and her mother takes inspiration, copying her daughter in the following years. However, on this rare occasion, Carole was the one who wore a long, burgundy coat first, and Catherine followed her lead the year after. 

There's no denying that Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her mother, Carole Middleton, absolutely love going to Wimbledon. In part, this is because Catherine is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the organization responsible for Wimbledon, so she's frequently enlisted to hand out trophies to the winners. So Catherine makes it a point to attend games and show her (very enthusiastic) support from the Royal Box on the Center Court. On July 10, 2016, she arrived wearing a brightly printed dress by Alexander McQueen and finished off the look with a pair of brown sunglasses. 

Carole has also been a frequent attendee, and in July 2024, she looked like the quintessential, chic tennis fan. Carole wore the Irina maxi dress by Cefinn in a robust floral print of reds and greens. Just like her daughter, Carole shaded her eyes with a stylish pair of sunglasses, but her frames were in a soft, caramel tone. The two women, though years apart, looked cut from the same cloth as they cheered on the athletes.

While they were wearing different designers, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Carole Middleton wore strikingly similar dresses, one in red and one in blue. While Catherine was touring Vancouver, Canada, with Prince William in 2016, she honored that country's colors by wearing a red and white Alexander McQueen dress that featured a mandarin collar and a tiered skirt. She styled the dress with red heels and a red clutch, staying very on-theme for Canada. 

A year later, in 2017, Carole attended Wimbledon in a dress that was shockingly similar to the popular one worn by her daughter. Carole's dress was by Rumour London and featured shorter sleeves, but the overall concepts of the dresses were nearly identical. Both featured white waistbands and white, mandarin collars. Both had two tiers on the skirts and button-down fronts. Carole didn't match up her accessories as exactly as Catherine did. Instead, she opted for a black clutch and black, open-toed sandals to keep things summery.