29 times royals recycled their favorite outfits
- Many royals recycle their favorite outfits instead of wearing new clothes.
- Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have both been known to repeat outfits.
Royal style is a hot topic of conversation, as members of the monarchy often wear designer brands or start trends with their outfits.
Many royals also send messages with their clothes, nodding to the United Kingdom's history or honoring members of the family.
It's also become common for royals to recycle some looks they wear to public engagements. Sometimes, they repeat an outfit exactly, and other times, they freshen up the look with alterations or accessories, as Meghan Markle did over the weekend.
Take a look at 29 of the best outfits royals have recycled over the years.
Princess Diana found two ways to wear a floral skirt in 1981 and 1985.
Diana first wore this blue floral skirt suit to Wimbledon in 1981 with a coordinating top. She then wore the skirt with a simple white blouse to a polo match in 1985.
The second time around, she opted for a more subtle look, pairing the printed skirt with red flats and a tan-colored belt.
Diana updated the neckline of a Catherine Walker dress she first wore in 1986 to revamp it for 1990.
Princess Diana first wore this Catherine Walker dress to a reception in Portugal in 1986.
She then wore it again in 1990 to a dinner in Cameroon. The long sleeves were removed to create a strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline.
Princess Diana wore this Mondi polka-dot dress in 1985 and 1986.
During a visit to a UK college in 1985, Diana wore the dress with a matching red coat and hat for a more traditional look.
But at a polo match in 1986, she wore it again with an oversize red-and-white sweatshirt and matching polka-dot socks for a more modern take on the ensemble.
Diana wore a striped bubble dress two different ways in 1987.
Diana first wore the dress on a trip to Lisbon, pairing it with a navy blazer.
She switched up the color of her blazer when she rewore the dress in Cannes later the same year.
Princess Diana made some subtle changes to this red houndstooth Moschino suit.
To attend a 1991 event in Canada, Princess Diana wore a suit jacket, a wide-brimmed hat, a white top, and a veil. She also matched her black-and-white skirt with a ribbon in the same pattern.
She was photographed wearing the look again in 1992 but switched it up slightly by adding a black ribbon to her jacket and pairing it with a black shirt.
Princess Diana debuted this Victor Edelstein polka-dot dress in 1986 and then wore it again in 1987.
Princess Diana first wore the dress to the Epsom Derby in 1986, and it featured a peplum.
She had the peplum detail removed from around the waist when she wore the dress to a polo match in 1987.
Princess Anne kept this teal coatdress in her closet for nearly 15 years.
The Princess Royal first wore the coatdress at the Royal Ascot in 1991.
She wore the statement outfit again when she attended then-Prince Charles' wedding to Camilla in 2005.
Likewise, Princess Anne kept this floral dress in her closet for over 20 years.
Princess Anne debuted this ruffled dress with yellow flowers at Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981.
She pulled it out of her closet again in July 2008 for her cousin's wedding.
Anne first wore this pleated pink dress with a coordinating floral jacket to her daughter's wedding in 2011.
The princess wore it again with a hat to the Royal Ascot in 2012.
Anne also seems to be a fan of this cream coat, as she wore it 35 years after debuting it.
Princess Anne first wore the yellow coat to the Royal Ascot in 1980.
She wore it again to a garden party in 2015, and she paired it with a wide-brimmed hat.
Kate Middleton was photographed four times in a Stella McCartney shift dress between 2012 and 2020.
Kate first wore the dress to an event at the National Portrait Gallery in 2012, pairing it with a long necklace and black heels.
She was photographed in it again alongside Prince George at an RAF event in 2016, but she wore it with white heels and a blazer. Most recently, Kate wore the dress for a virtual appearance for Hold Still in 2020.
Kate has worn a Luisa Spagnoli skirt suit again and again.
Kate first wore the skirt suit in February 2011 while visiting the University of St Andrews during her engagement to Prince William.
She wore the dress again in 2014 on a royal tour of New Zealand and again in 2017 during a visit to Mitchell Brook Primary School in the UK.
Kate sported an Alexander McQueen gown to two different events, though it had been altered the second time.
Kate first wore the garment during the 2017 BAFTAs.
In March 2019, she wore the dress again during a visit to the National Portrait Gallery but had it altered to include cap sleeves.
Kate first wore this Alexander McQueen dress in 2012 and brought it out again at the 2020 BAFTAs.
She wore the original design in 2012 to an official dinner hosted by Malaysia's Head of State.
The royal pulled it out of her closet again for the 2020 BAFTAs. However, Kate altered the sleeves so that they were no longer sheer.
Meghan Markle wore a Stella McCartney cape dress to two royal engagements in 2018.
Meghan first wore the $2,000 garment to the Queen's birthday celebrations in 2018. She paired it with a gold Naeem Kham clutch and Manolo Blahnik pumps.
She pulled the dress out again for the 2018 Invictus Games opening ceremony but opted for different accessories. Meghan wore a bespoke Dior satin clutch, Birks sapphire and diamond drop earrings, and Stuart Weitzman nude heels.
King Charles has been wearing this Anderson & Sheppard tweed coat since the 1980s.
King Charles wore the tweed coat to attend Christmas Day service with the rest of the royal family in 2012, and then again in 2018 for a royal engagement.
Kate recycled a red Catherine Walker coatdress throughout her time in the public eye.
She was first spotted in the coatdress with black heels on a royal tour of New Zealand in April 2014 alongside Prince George and Prince William.
Kate wore the dress again to a Commonwealth Day celebration in 2019, styling it with nude heels.
Meghan wore a trench coatdress in 2018 and 2019.
She debuted the House of Nonie trench dress at the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition in July 2018 and wore it again in October 2019 during a royal tour of South Africa.
Markle wore her hair in a low bun both times.
Princess Anne wore this green coatdress in June and July 2019.
Anne wore a mint-green coat to the Royal Ascot in June 2019.
She wore it to a garden party hosted by Queen Elizabeth II the next month.
Meghan sported a Martin Grant dress on royal tours in 2018 and 2019.
Meghan debuted the striped, tiered dress during a royal tour of Australia in October 2018.
She wore the dress nearly a year later on a trip to South Africa in September 2019.
Kate wore a $1,300 Gucci blouse in March 2019 and November 2020.
Kate actually wore the blouse backward both times.
According to photos and the item description previously available on Net-a-Porter, the buttons are meant to be worn on the back of the blouse, but Kate had them showing in the front.
King Charles recycled this camel coat.
He wore it in 2018 while attending the Christmas Day service with the royal family and then again in February 2020 while visiting the Defense Medical Rehabilitation Center.
Kate wore a blue Jenny Packham ball gown in 2016 and 2020.
Kate first wore the dress during a 2016 royal tour of India and again at a gala for Place2Be in 2020.
The princess ditched the matching shawl the second time she wore the gown. However, she did choose to accessorize the look with the same clutch.
Prince Harry wore a light-gray suit for high-profile moments in both 2019 and 2021.
Prince Harry first wore the suit when he and Meghan showed Archie to the world in May 2019.
He rewore it for the couple's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. For the chat, Harry ditched the dark tie for a more laid-back look.
Charles wore a suit he has owned since the '80s to the Royal Ascot in 2021.
The king has owned the gray suit he wore to the 2021 Royal Ascot since 1984, People reported.
He has worn the suit many times, including to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.
"I only wear it a few times a year, in the summer, so obviously you want to keep those sorts of things going," he said of the suit in British Vogue in 2019.
Kate has styled a white coatdress from Alexander McQueen three times.
Coatdresses have become a signature look for Kate throughout her time as a royal, and her white Alexander McQueen dress is a perfect example.
Kate has worn the dress to several high-profile royal events, including Princess Charlotte's christening in 2015 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2017.
Most recently, she wore the dress in 2022 to a service at Westminster Abbey.
Kate also rewore an Alexander McQueen ball gown a decade apart.
Kate debuted the pleated dress in 2011 to celebrate the BAFTAs, pairing it with a wide belt and a clutch.
She styled the dress similarly when she rewore it to the 2021 Earthshot Prize Awards, though she styled it with a gold belt instead.
Kate rocked a red-and-white houndstooth coat from Catherine Walker in both 2018 and 2023.
Kate first wore the coat dress in Sweden in 2018 when she was pregnant with Prince Louis.
She wore the coat again in 2023 for the Wales versus England Six Nations rugby game, letting her black turtleneck peek out of the jacket's top.
Meghan altered a Carolina Herrera dress from 2021 for a 2024 appearance.
Meghan wore the eye-catching red gown at the Salute to Freedom Gala in November 2021. The dress featured a plunging neckline and a slit in the center of the full skirt, which flowed into a train.
She pulled the dress out again for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Gala on Saturday, though it looked a little different. Meghan had the train removed, so it had a more form-fitting silhouette and slightly more casual look.
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