Duchess Kate channels Princess Diana during Pakistan tour with similar styles
Duchess Kate's Pakistan style is bringing back memories of Princess Diana's visits to the country.
Kate's outfits-of-choice, which have focused on traditional ensembles and bold colors, appear to be inspired by the late royal, her mother-in-law.
Kate is in Pakistan with Prince William for a five-day official visit described as their "most complex" ever due to major logistical and security issues in a diplomatically touchy region. Diana also visited the country several times. She was friends with Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former cricket superstar-turned-politician, who Will and Kate met with during Day 2 of the tour.
For her arrival to Pakistan, Kate wore a traditional shalwar kameez, an ombré turquoise dress and pants by Catherine Walker, plus cream-colored high heels.
Not only is the color a nod to the outfit worn by William's late mother during her visit to Pakistan in 1996, so is the designer, who was one of Diana's favorites.
During Day 2 of the tour Tuesday, Kate wore a periwinkle kurta to meet with children from three different schools outside Islamabad, Pakistan. In 1997, Diana wore a similarly colored ensemble. Both also wore a scarf and nude shoes.
During the visit, Diana was brought up by a 14-year-old girl, who told the royal couple the students were “big fans” of her, according to People and the Telegraph.
“You were, really? Oh, that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too," William replied. "She came here three times. I was very small... This is my first time, and it is very nice to be here and meet you all.”
Later Tuesday, during Kate and William's meeting with Kahn and President of Pakistan Arif Alvi and his wife Samina Alvi, she wore a green tunic and trousers.
Social media users were quick to draw comparisons between this ensemble and that of Diana's 1991 visit, where she also wore bright green and a darker green scarf.
Kate's tunic was again by Walker, one of Diana's favorite designers.
The matching got even more spot-on Wednesday when Kate was given a Chitrali hat to wear during a visit to Chitral, Pakistan. Diana wore a near-identical version of the traditional-style cap during her trip in 1991.
Upon their arrival, the royal couple was also gifted with a photo book of Diana's previous visit, according to People and Access. People reports that Kate called the gifts "very special."
The Cambridge visit is intended to "pay respect to the historical relationship" between Britain and Pakistan, a Muslim country that used to be part of the British Empire with India, and from which more than 1 million British citizens today trace their ancestry.
Will and Kate are embarking on this tour at a moment when public esteem for them is high in Britain, in contrast to the woes experienced in recent months by Prince Harry and his biracial American wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, who just returned from a 10-day tour of southern Africa with their baby, Archie.
Contributing: Maria Puente
More: Prince William and Duchess Kate arrive in Pakistan for their 'most complex tour' ever