Catherine's touching nod to mother-in-law Diana and another fashion icon at Trooping the Colour

It is safe to say all eyes were on Catherine, Princess of Wales, when she made her long-awaited return to the royal spotlight at this year's Trooping the Colour.Her outfit of choice for her first official royal appearance of 2024 was always going to cause a buzz, but her dazzling look got tongues wagging for more than one reason.While Catherine had worn the dress before, its close resemblance to outfits worn by two other fashion icons has amazed royal watchers and fashionistas alike.READ MORE: Royal's first public appearance after husband's shock deathCatherine first wore the slimline mid-length white dress with black detailing at the waist and neck in 2023, the day before King Charles III's coronation. At the time, she teamed the dress with black heels and wore he hair down.It was the addition of a large black and white bow near the neckline and a reworking of the waistband that transformed the dress by British designer Jenny Packham.READ MORE: One of the world's most well-connected families is getting biggerThe further addition of a stylish black and white hat by one of her favourite milliner's, Philip Treacy, added further drama to the look, and also brought two comparisons to famous looks from the past.The first was the iconic look created for Audrey Hepburn's character Eliza Doolittle in the 1964 film My Fair Lady.Indeed, the ribbon used to create the bow and rework the waistband of Catherine's dress is almost identical to the one on the stunning floor-length white lace dress Hepburn's character wore to the races.READ MORE: Princess Charlene's daring outfit for latest appearanceCreated by Cecil Beaton, who won an Oscar for the film's costume design, it is the most well-known look from the film, and featured on movie posters. The dress sports a side bow, while Hepburn's hat, although much larger, is the same angled style as Catherine's, which also featured a feather.Catherine paired the dress with white high-heeled shoes and carried a small black clutch.But it is perhaps the second comparison that is even more touching, with many royal watchers noting Catherine's look resembled an outfit once worn by another Princess of Wales, her mother-in=law Diana.Diana donned a mid-length black skirt and white fitted jacket featuring black lapels, cuff and buttons for a November 1985 visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.Her hat is also being compared to the one worn by her daughter-in-law almost 40 years later.The black and white hat, like Catherine's, was worn on an angle and featured feathers on top.And the comparisons didn't end there, with eagle-eyed watchers also noting similarities in the bow detail on a burgundy-hued dress Diana wore during a visit to a World War II cemetery in Italy in April 1985.Catherine took to social media just one day before Trooping the Colour to announce she planned to attend the event — her first royal outing of the year.It comes after she announced in April that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer that was detected following major abdominal surgery in January.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.