Catherine Princess of Wales meets well-wishers during a walkabout on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
Princess Kate and Meghan Markle have something in common after all. Ahead of King Charles III’s Saturday, May 6, coronation, Kate stepped out in a pair of pumps her sister-in-law would approve of.
The 41-year-old Princess of Wales was photographed greeting well-wishers outside of Buckingham Palace in London on Friday, May 5, wearing a white long-sleeved dress by Jenny Packham. The knee-length frock showcased a straight silhouette and was completed with a black waistband. Kate finalized the look with Aquazzura’s Bow Tie Pumps — a design Meghan, 41, has sported in the past.
The dainty footwear, which retails for $850 online, features a stiletto heel and knot construction at the back. Meghan previously rocked the shoes while visiting the Oceania exhibition opening at the Royal Academy of Arts in September 2018. She complemented the style choice with a sheer black dress by Givenchy.
Meghan Duchess of Sussex at the ‘Oceania’ exhibition opening Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Kate’s decision to step out in the pumps may be a coincidence considering she owns the design in beige. She donned the heels with a white coat dress during the June 2021 G7 Summit. Meghan also wore the nude shade at the Polo Cup in July 2018.
Fans can expect even fiercer fashion from Kate as her father-in-law is officially crowned on Saturday. Meghan, meanwhile, will not be in attendance.
The Suits alum is staying back in California as her husband, Prince Harry, flies overseas to reunite with other members of the royal family. Harry, 38, is expected to leave the weekend celebration — which takes place on son Archie’s 4th birthday — early. (The couple also share 23-month-old daughter Lilibet.)
“As much as Meghan appreciates the invite to the coronation, she wouldn’t miss her son’s birthday for the world,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly in April. “Despite being the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan is a mom first.”
A second source revealed that while Charles is being crowned at Westminster Abbey, Archie will be having an “intimate” and “really low-key” celebration with loved ones.
While Harry’s time in London is expected to be brief, royal expert Nick Bullen predicted that the prince may feel “very nervous” to be back across the pond.
“I think he’ll be nervous about how the family [will] react to him, and I think it’s pretty clear that he’s gonna minimize the amount of time that he’s in London,” the editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV exclusively told Us last week. “He’s already said that he wants to be back for Archie’s birthday that afternoon, that evening.”
Bullen added: “It will be very much of a fly-in visit. Harry isn’t part of the procession or the balcony appearance.” (Both are typically limited to working royals, the expert noted.)
The Sussexes haven’t been on the best terms with The Firm since stepping down from their roles as senior royals in January 2020. Their relationship with the royal family grew strained following their explosive 2021 sit-down on CBS and the release of Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, in December 2022. In January, Harry released his debut memoir, Spare, which included many allegations against his father and brother Prince William.
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As a result, royal expert Omid Scobie revealed on a March 3 episode of Britain’s This Morning that Harry has “minimal” contact with William, 40. However, the duke has “a somewhat regular pattern of conversation” with Charles, 73.
