The Princess of Wales channeled her late mother-in-law Princess Diana as she cheered on England at the rugby over the weekend.  

Kate attended the Red Roses women’s team’s match against Australia in her role as Patron of the Rugby Football Union at the Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium on Saturday. 

The 43-year-old cheered on the Brits, donning a sleek and simple black Alexander McQueen blazer with matching Roland Mouret wide-leg trousers and a Cascade Ruffle Blouse by Knatchbull. 

She kept the accessories simple, carrying a £4,000 Chanel bag and wearing a pair of £2,400 Cartier earrings. 

Kate seemingly took a leaf out of Diana’s style book as the ensemble was strikingly similar to one of her late mother-in-law’s famous looks. 

In 1986, Diana wore a white ruffled blouse under a black trouser suit while meeting singer Bryan Adams in Vancouver. 

The suit’s designer, Jasper Conran, said Diana was coming out of her ‘ballgown phase’ at the time, according to The Telegraph.

‘There was a moment when she never wanted to see a full skirt again – she wanted to be slinkier,’ he said. 

The Princess of Wales wore a black suit and ruffled blouse at a rugby game at the weekend – She took a leaf out of Princess Diana’s style book as the ensemble was strikingly similar to one of her late mother-in-law’s iconic looks

In 1986, Diana wore a white ruffled blouse under a black trouser suit while meeting singer Bryan Adams in Vancouver

‘She was keen to try things out, and this suit was for a pop concert.

‘She knew from the word go that she would be on the cover of every newspaper in the world, so she developed a sharp idea of what looked good and what didn’t.’

Diana’s move to more masculine, suit-style formal outfits wowed fans at the time much like when Kate debuted her new ‘bronde’ hairstyle as she returned to royal duties after a summer break. 

Online, observant royal family followers noticed the similarities between Kate and Diana’s suit joking the princess was ‘cosplaying’ her mother-in-law. 

‘I personally love the homage and Kate’s personal spin on Diana’s fashion. Classy and so fun for us that grew up with Diana and the boys,’ one woman said. 

‘Copied her to a T’ a second wrote while others deemed the chic look ‘elegant’ and ‘perfection’. 

‘Very nice, exactly like that one outfit Diana wore to the Prince’s Trust sometime in the mid 80s!’ someone added. 

The Princess of Wales has repeatedly made poignant tributes over the years to her late mother-in-law Diana, who tragically died in a car crash in 1997. 

Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a trouser suit designed by Jasper Conran with a white ruffled blouse in 1986

The 43-year-old cheered on the Brits donning a sleek and simple black Alexander McQueen blazer with matching wide-leg trousers and a Cascade Ruffle Blouse by Knatchbull

Online, observant royal family followers noticed the similarities between Kate and Diana’s suit joking the princess was ‘cosplaying’ her mother-in-law 

Kate appeared in bright spirits as she took to the stands to cheer on the team in what will make for a nail-biting match 

Recently, for the VE Day service in Westminster Abbey back in May, Kate wore a pair of earrings that once belonged to Diana. 

The earrings, gifted to Diana before her wedding to the then-Prince Charles in 1981, became Diana’s firm favourites and she sported them on royal tours of Australia, Canada and Italy. 

Kate has donned the earrings as a sweet nod to her late mother-in-law several times, including in her official portrait marking her 40th birthday. 

On many occasions, she can be seen wearing Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, though she sometimes swaps it out for her ‘eternity band’, thought to be a gift from the Prince of Wales. 

Kate appeared in bright spirits as she took to the stands to cheer on the team in what made for a nail-biting match.

The game marked the final of the group stage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, with England currently sitting at the top of the leaderboard, and Australia currently in second place. 

England, ranked the number one side in the world, shocked the US with a 69-7 win in the first round before another strong performance to win 92-3 against Samoa last weekend.

They are one of the favourites to win the entire tournament, alongside current world cup holders New Zealand, and Canada.

Princess Catherine of Wales made a sentimental tribute to her mother-in-law and donned a pair of earrings that once belonged Diana, Princess of Wales at the VE Day service in May

The couple have both shared personal messages to their respective teams on social media in recent weeks.

Posting in Welsh, then in English, William wrote: ‘Good luck to Wales Women as they kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against Scotland today! Pob lwc, Cymru – ewch amdani! W.’

While Kate’s message read: ‘Wishing the Red Roses the very best as they kick off their Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign tonight.

‘I look forward to cheering you on and seeing the team rise to the challenge on home soil! C.’

Kate’s sister, Pippa, wrote in Vanity Fair magazine in 2014: ‘Rugby was a big thing for our family, we’d plan our weekends around the big matches.’

In the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential podcast, Jo Elvin joked that the Wales family ‘may need a referee in house’ for the game – which forms part of the Six Nations Championship.

Kate took over the role with the RFU from her brother-in-law Prince Harry in 2022, who was forced to give up the patronage as part of the Megxit agreement.

The Princess of Wales, who grew up watching rugby with her family, is known as one of the sportiest members of the Royal Family, and has gamely taken on her husband in everything from dragon boating to wind buggy racing at royal engagements.

She has played tennis and hockey from a young age and is already royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and is a frequent visitor to the Wimbledon Championships.

While her love and passion for hockey has been well publicised, less well known is her family’s love of rugby.