Kate Middleton and Prince William are on a royal tour of Pakistan, and the Duchess of Cambridge is taking styling cues from Princess Diana.
Two of the three outfits Middleton has worn so far on her trip appear to have pulled styling inspiration from her mother-in-law.
As she stepped off the plane yesterday, the mother of three sported a light blue ombré Catherine Walker outfit with Rupert Sanderson’s Malory pumps, one of her go-to styles. The look, which consisted of a dress and pants, was designed to resemble a “shalwar kameez,” a traditional Punjabi combination dress of trousers (“shalwar”) and a tunic (“kameez”).
![Kate Middleton, blue outfit, Catherine walker outfit, Rupert Sanderson shoes, nude pumps, stilettos, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince WilliamThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Pakistan - 14 Oct 2019](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/kate-middleton-pakistan-6.jpg)
Royal watchers couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Middleton’s outfit and an ensemble worn by Princess Di on a February 1996 trip to Pakistan. For her tour, Diana wore a pale blue tunic top and slim pants — although she went with ballet flats rather than heels.
![Princess Diana , celebrity style, baby blue, Kurta, pants dress, flats, 1996, KHAN. Diana, Princess of Wales and Imran Khan, right, former Pakistani cricketer, visits a cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. He won the cricket World Cup for Pakistan in 1992 when the country's prime minister was Nawaz Sharif. Twenty six years later the charismatic Imran Khan is all set to become the first cricketer in the world to be elected as a country's prime minister in electionsElections Khan, LAHORE, Pakistan - 22 Feb 1996](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/princess-diana-02.jpg?w=707)
Watch on FN
It seems that Middleton is looking to Princess Diana’s Pakistan style for inspiration throughout her royal tour. The duchess today wore a Maheen Khan kurta (a loose-fitting collarless shirt), pants and scarf for a visit to an Islamabad school. She completed her look with pointed-toe, block-heel New Look pumps that cost just $38.
![Kate Middleton wears $38 New Look pumps for a visit to a school in Pakistan.](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/km-blue-3.jpg?w=662)
Middleton’s outfit was akin to a look Princess Diana wore in May 1997 for a royal tour. Lady Di wore the same three-piece blue combo, although her kurta had a floral print. Like Middleton, she selected pumps — but hers had a more ’90s vibe courtesy of thin crisscross straps and a kitten heel.
![PRINCESS DIANA, celebrity style, blue florals, kitten heels, IN PAKISTANBritish royal tour of Pakistan - May 1997](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/princess-diana-01.jpg?w=660)
Click through the gallery to see all of Kate Middleton’s style on her royal tour of Pakistan.
Want more?
Kate Middleton Wears High Street Look With Tod’s Burgundy Pumps
Hailey Baldwin’s Princess Diana-Inspired Photo Shoot Is Breaking the Internet
From the Archives: Princess Diana’s Shoe Style