Kate and Mary win the doubles stakes at Ascot
STANDING in the parade ring at Ascot yesterday, they could have been mistaken for sisters.
With their floral headpieces and glossy brown hair, the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary of Denmark looked startlingly alike – despite a decade’s age difference between them.
The pair, who joined Ascot’s royal parade, exuded glamour as they chatted and exchanged jokes while their husbands both looked on.
Opting for headpieces known as ‘hatinators’ – which are a sturdier and more hat-like form of fascinator – Princess Mary chose a cream base adorned with a large flower, while the Duchess picked a cream headpiece by milliner Jane Taylor.
The pair also showed a penchant for nipped-in waistlines, with both women choosing designs which flattered their petite figures. The Duchess of Cambridge, 34, chose a white lace dress by Dolce and Gabbana with a £3,540 price tag, and 44-year-old Princess Mary wore a coral-coloured dress by Marc Jacobs.
They both styled their hair into neat chignons to avoid deflecting from their intricate headpieces. But while Princess Mary teamed her brightly coloured dress with bold gold shoes, the Duchess opted for her trusty nude heels.
This is not the first time the pair, who have previously encountered each other at official engagements, have been photographed wearing similar outfits.
Last month Princess Mary was pictured wearing a striped Breton top as she pushed her twins along on a tricycle in her native Denmark.
The Duchess had chosen a similar look at an event in October 2013 – smartening the top with a navy blue blazer.
In 2010, Karl Lagerfeld said the Duchess could pass as Princess Mary’s ‘younger sister’. And the pair tend to choose clothes from the same brands.
In February, Princess Mary stepped out in a navy blue dress by British designer Issa during an event in Copenhagen. The same designer was behind the striking £575 midnight blue dress worn by the Duchess for her official engagement photographs.
Aside from their choice in clothing, both women also hail from similar, nonroyal backgrounds. Princess Mary, who is originally from Australia, had no royal connections before she met Prince Frederik during the Sydney Olympics – much like Kate, who famously first caught Prince William’s eye at a fashion show while she was studying at St Andrews University.