Have you ever exchanged outfits with your mom at least once in your life? Nothing human is alien to these monarchs either: today’s princesses, duchesses (and even queens) often find interesting things for themselves in the wardrobes of their mothers and mothers-in-law.
Carol Middleton and the Duchess of Cambridge; Charlotte Casiraghi and Princess Caroline
Modern royal families love continuity: children are named after their grandparents, the titling system is always brought to automatism, and women within the same family often inherit family jewelry. However, today’s princesses have gone much further and nowadays they are increasingly borrowing from older relatives not only jewelry and accessories, but also clothes.
Moreover, monarchs are not afraid to borrow dresses from grandmothers even for a wedding. Princess Beatrice tried on the outfit of Queen Elizabeth for the wedding, in which the monarch appeared back in 1966.
There are even more coincidences than it might seem at first glance. We show the brightest fashionable curtsies and once again make sure that only the royal style can make a thing 20 or 30 years old relevant and relevant again.
Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia
They are often accused of conflicting relationships, believing that the young and wayward queen does not have an ounce of respect for the one who at one time warmly welcomed her into the royal family. However, whether Felipe’s mother really dislikes her son’s wife so much and vice versa is difficult to judge, because if that were the case, we would hardly have seen Letizia demonstrating certain things from her mother-in-law’s closet.
Queen Sofia of Spain on a visit to Denmark, March 19, 1980
And her sister-in-law, Queen Letizia, at the Fashion Awards, December 19, 2018
Take, for example, the appearance of Her Majesty in a bright red ensemble with a pleated skirt and a blouse with lantern sleeves. Letizia looked, as always, very elegant and seemingly out of time — we bet that only a few guessed that the queen was not just inspired by the fashion of the 80s, but actually demonstrates the outfit of this era. Yes, in the original, the skirt and blouse belong to Letizia’s mother-in-law Sofia, who often wore it almost 40 years ago. We cannot fail to note the symbolism of the event for which Her Majesty chose a relative’s outfit — the presentation of the National Fashion Awards, during which Letizia made it clear without words: yes, the 80s are coming back, and the monarchy is at the forefront of the trend.
Queen Letizia on the 80th birthday of King Juan Carlos, January 5, 2018
Queen Sofia in the same outfit in November 1984
However, interestingly, the red outfit was not Letizia’s first outfit, which she found in her mother-in-law’s garberob. A little earlier, Her Majesty demonstrated a magnificent vintage gray dress, which only the most devoted fans of the Spanish monarchy could identify, because Queen Sofia showed it back in 1984.
The Duchess of Cambridge and Carole Middleton
There is no doubt that Duchess Catherine and her mother demonstrate a similar sense of style: it is enough to look at the images of both women at formal events like the Ascot races or Wimbledon. But, importantly, from time to time we see the wife of Prince William in exactly the same outfits that Carol previously appeared in — and vice versa. Who borrows outfits from whom is still a mystery, but we still tend to favor the “daughter — mother” version, because most often coincidences occur during Kate’s pregnancies, when she needs larger things.
The Duchess of Cambridge in Manchester, December 6, 2017
Carole Middleton in a photo shoot for The Telegraph, December 2018
So, in her interview with the Telegraph, Carol Middleton did not try to hint at her relationship with the future British queen, but her images spoke for themselves. Two short dresses with long sleeves — carrot red and eggplant from Goat – we have already seen on the Duchess of Cambridge during her third pregnancy.
Carole Middleton in a photo shoot for an interview with The Telegraph, December 2018
Kate Middleton at the Place2Be forum, November 8, 2017
Catherine did not repeat them anymore, which leads to the idea that Her Highness is trying not to update her wardrobe while waiting for the baby, but simply borrows larger dresses from her mother.
Carole Middleton in a Boden coat goes to visit her youngest daughter Pippa after giving birth, October 2018
The Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to a London hospital, January 17, 2018
Dresses in which the Duchess of Cambridge herself has already appeared are a win—win advertisement for Carol’s photo shoot. But this is not some kind of PR strategy: even earlier, immediately after the first birth of her youngest daughter, Mrs. Middleton showed off a bright Boden coat, in which Kate appeared again a couple of months ago — and also pregnant.
The Duchess of Cambridge at the opening of the Treehouse Children’s Hospice, March 2012
Carole Middleton at Ascot Races, June 2010
On the other hand, Kate’s pregnancy is not the only reason to look into Mom’s closet. Back in 2012, for her first public appearance as the wife of Prince William, Her Highness picked up a rich blue outfit from Reiss. Exactly the same Carol demonstrated two years earlier. However, even the comparison of dates does not give us grounds to say exactly who buys clothes initially. Practice shows that women from the Middleton family love to change outfits. But it’s one thing when sisters exchange dresses, and quite another when clothes pass from mother to daughter and back. Well, apparently, it’s not for nothing that Karl Lagerfeld praised Carol’s magnificent figure so much.
Crown Princess Victoria and Queen Silvia
In Sweden, ladies from the royal family demonstrate not only tender friendship, but also absolute agreement when choosing outfits: even precious tiaras here alternately migrate from one monarch’s head to another. However, the warm relationship between the queen and the heiress remains the most inspiring example in the Bernadotte dynasty, because Victoria borrows from her mother not only jewelry, but also her dresses.
Queen Silvia of Sweden in Moscow, June 1978
Her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, on August 28, 2017
So, in August 2017, the Crown Princess attended the Stockholm conference, picking up a magnificent business and at the same time romantic yellow striped outfit for her. It could be called vintage at once — the fashionable techniques of the past era were too obvious. And indeed: the same outfit has already seen the light — only thanks to Queen Silvia, who wore it for a visit to Moscow in 1978. Of course, the images of almost 40 years ago are not absolutely identical: Victoria refused a hat, and a scarf from a headdress decorated the Crown Princess’ neck. But, anyway, the citation came out great.
Queen Silvia at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 1995
And her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, at the same event in 2018
However, the real sensation was not produced by this outfit, but by another — evening, iconic and now already famous for centuries. As a rule, ladies buy such elegant dresses just for one time. And, strictly speaking, with this gray-pink ball gown from Nina Ricci, it turned out that way: Her Majesty Silvia really wore it once — for the Nobel Prize in 1995. But then the queen suggested to his daughter that she should arrange a new debut alongside, in the new millennium. Victoria also wore it to the Nobel Prize, but in 2018. Photos of a mother and daughter captured at the same event, in the same dress and even at the same location (the grand staircase), cannot but delight. You can’t say that there is a difference of 23 years between these pictures.
Charlotte Casiraghi and Princess Caroline
Princess Caroline of Monaco at the Award ceremony. Nijinsky, December 16, 2000
And her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, at the traditional “Rose Ball”, March 18, 2017
Ladies from the princely family of Monaco can boast not only an impeccable sense of style, but also a number of high occasions to demonstrate it. So, one of the most anticipated events of the year in the principality is traditionally considered to be the “Rose Ball” in Monte Carlo, invented by Princess Grace. On this day, women wear their best dresses and jewelry to shine in every sense. It would seem that there is an occasion that favors the purchase of a new designer outfit, but for Charlotte Casiraghi there are no prohibited techniques: in 2017, the girl wore a floor-length evening dress that her mother wore to one of the awards almost 17 years ago!
Beatrice Borromeo and Princess Caroline
Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo at a party in Monte Carlo, April 29, 2017
Princess Caroline at the Red Cross Ball, July 27, 2007
However, not only Charlotte is distinguished by “economy” in the princely family, but also the wife of her younger brother Pierre — the magnificent Beatrice Borromeo. The girl is more closely connected with the fashion world than it might seem: her uncle was once the president of the Valentino fashion house, and Beatrice herself is friends with famous Italian designers. However, by her own admission, she does not like to buy expensive exclusive outfits, preferring to rent evening dresses. In 2017, for one of the receptions in Monte Carlo, Beatrice reappeared in a “rented” outfit – however, the “supplier” was not some fashion house, but only the girl’s mother—in-law, the same Princess Caroline, who demonstrated it in 2007.
Queen Maxima and Queen Beatrix
Queen Beatrix during a state visit to Belgium, 1981
Queen Maxima at the Freedom Concert, May 5, 2014
Looking at the original and recognizable style of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, it is impossible not to think that her wardrobe habits were formed under the influence of ex-Queen Beatrix’s mother-in-law, who also has a tender love for unusual styles, bright colors and, of course, big hats. In a word, the tastes of the two queens in clothes are really similar, and sometimes even the same — otherwise how can you explain Maxima’s appearance in Amsterdam in 2014 in the same green dress that her predecessor wore back in 1981. It is obvious that Willem-Alexander’s mother simply lent her daughter-in-law an outfit that looked great on Maxim, despite the significant difference in the height of the two queens.
Mabel, Countess of Orange-Nassau, and Princess Beatrix (the future Queen)
Prince Friso with his wife Mabel at the wedding of Prince Peter-Christian and Anita van Eyck, August 2005
Princess Beatrix and Klaus von Amsberg on the day of their engagement announcement, June 1965
The love of Queen Beatrix’s youngest son cost him the right to the throne: the country’s parliament never gave Prince Friso approval for the marriage. However, this did not mean at all that the royal family did not accept His Highness’s chosen one. Friso and Mabel lived soul to soul until the death of the prince, and his crowned mother once expressed very eloquent support for this union — giving her daughter-in-law her dress for one of the events, in which she announced her engagement to her lover Klaus von Amsberg back in 1965.
Princess Estelle and Crown Princess Victoria
Princess Estelle at the christening of Princess Leonor, June 8, 2014
And her mother, little Crown Princess Victoria, on her father’s birthday, April 30, 1980
And finally — the most touching borrowing of the outfit. It seems that the royal family of Sweden has been storing not only expensive designer outfits, but also children’s things for years. In June 2014, on the day of the christening of the daughter of Princess Madeleine Leonor, Crown Princess Victoria once again demonstrated how important continuity is for her. Her Highness’ daughter, two-year-old Princess Estelle, appeared before reporters in a lovely white dress with a gold pattern. It was also worn by baby Victoria more than 40 years ago for a photo shoot in honor of the birthday of King Carl Gustaf.