Kate Middleton has been known to pay sartorial homage to her mother-in-law Princess Diana, and did so at a poignant service today honoring the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
May 8, 1945 was declared Victory in Europe Day, ending World War II on that front. To pay tribute, Kate and husband Prince William—along with a host of other royals—commemorated the anniversary at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on Thursday. This commemoration followed events that kicked off May 5, including a surprise appearance by the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis on Monday.
Kate Middleton on May 8, 2025.
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Kate Middleton on May 8, 2025.
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For the appearance, Kate wore a white dress with black polka dots, which appeared to be a rewear from the 2023 Order of the Garter service in June of that year. This fits in with Kate’s recent approach towards substance over style, seeking to not only rewear pieces frequently but keep the focus on her work, not her wardrobe. Just as in 2023, the look pays an obvious tribute to a look Princess Diana wore to Royal Ascot in 1988 (one of the many times the late Princess of Wales employed polka dots while a working royal). Kate again wore polka dots—this time in the form of an Alessandra Rich dress—to Royal Ascot in 2022, a look that mirrored Diana’s own appearance in Victor Edelstein at the 1986 Epsom Derby.
Kate Middleton at the Order of the Garter service on June 19, 2023.
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Princess Diana at Royal Ascot in June 1988.
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“I think we have seen lots of examples where the reference is very intentional, and I think that Kate uses fashion to pay tribute to Diana in a very positive way,” Bethan Holt, fashion news and features director at The Daily Telegraph, told People.
“I think that William and Kate between them might have decided that, actually on some occasions, it’s a really nice thing for Kate to reference the fact that Diana is still a fashion muse today and to do that through her own clothes,” Holt continued, adding that “What’s really key about these times when Kate references Diana, it’s not like a costume. She brings it right up to date so she makes it look relevant for now.”
Kate Middleton at Royal Ascot on June 17, 2022.
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Princess Diana at the Epsom Derby in June 1986.
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“She’s not doing an ‘80s power shoulder or a puff ball skirt, she’s making it look sleeker and more contemporary,” Holt said. “She makes it her own without looking like she’s playing ‘dress up as Diana.’”
Kate became Princess of Wales in September 2022—a title that, prior to her, was most closely associated with Diana. A palace source told People that Kate “appreciates the history associated with this role, but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William on May 8, 2025.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William on May 8, 2025.
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Less than 100 veterans were at today’s Service of Thanksgiving, a reminder of how few are left among us eight decades after the war ended. According to People, at one point Kate “crouched down on her haunches to talk animatedly to a woman in a wheelchair,” and other members of the royal family mingled and heard stories of those who are a part of the Greatest Generation and represent truly the best of us.