Princess Diana’s tragic and sudden death at the age of 36 shocked the world to this day 26 years ago, and even now her memory has a powerful resonance for royal fans.
And despite her untimely death, the late princess is still at the center of the royal family, thanks in part to her daughter-in-law Kate.
Although the Princess of Wales never met her mother-in-law, she is making sure her legacy lives on through a series of touching tributes.
She makes Diana’s grandchildren Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis aware of the wonderful woman their grandmother was.
From the outfits and jewelry she wears to the place where she sent her kids to school, here are the touching ways Kate Middleton is making sure Diana’s legacy will never be forgotten.
Kate Middleton has subtly kept the memory of Princess Diana alive through her children
The tragic and sudden death of Princess Diana at the age of 36 shocked the world to this day 26 years ago, and even now her passing has a powerful hold on the country’s memory.
Princess Charlotte’s name and baptism
The first major way the Princess of Wales honors her late mother-in-law is through her daughter.
Born in 2015, Princess Charlotte goes by the full name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, in honor of her grandmother whom she sadly never met.
The young princess’ middle name is also a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, and Elizabeth is also Kate’s middle name and her mother Carole Middleton’s middle name.
In another nod to Diana, Princess Charlotte was also baptized at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham – the same place as her grandmother.
Princess Diana was baptized in August 1961 at Sandringham Estate church.
Born in 2015, Princess Charlotte goes by the full name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, in honor of her grandmother whom she sadly never met
The Montessori method
When it came to sending the little ones to school, Kate was once again following in Diana’s footsteps.
Princess Diana had insisted that her children, Prince William and Prince Harry, be educated outside the palace walls.
She sent William to the Mrs. Mynors Nursery School in West London.
Diana also believed in the Montessori teaching method, having used it herself when she was a daycare assistant.
The Montessori method emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world skills. Children’s natural interests and activities are taken into account rather than more formal teaching methods.
When it was time for Prince George to start school, Kate sent him to a nursery that used the Montessori method: the Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk.
When it was time for Prince George to start school, Kate sent him to a nursery that used the Montessori method: Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk
Jewelery and outfits from Princess Kate
The Duchess of Cambridge continues to keep Princess Diana’s legacy alive through subtle details in her jewelery and outfit choices.
The biggest and most notable of these is that her diamond engagement ring, which she always wears, was passed down from Diana.
Continuing the memory of her mother-in-law through jewelry, Kate also owns some diamond and sapphire earrings that once belonged to Diana – they have been refurbished and she first wore them in 2011.
More recently, during the King’s Coronation, she was also seen wearing a beautiful pair of pearl and diamond earrings, which matched her engagement ring.
When it comes to clothes, there are numerous occasions where Kate’s style choices have been compared to Diana’s, suggesting that she sometimes takes fashion inspiration from the late princess.
In an example where the couple both wore royal blue, Princess Diana was pictured in her blue Catherine Walker suit, while the Princess of Wales wore a sapphire Zara blazer with a skirt from Hope.
Pretty in blue: Diana pictured in a similar royal blue outfit with gold buttons in 1992. Kate wears a Zara blazer with a skirt from Hope and completes the look with pumps, a Metier clutch and earrings from Hamilton & Inches in 2021
A love of skiing
Princess Diana often took her children on winter holidays to ski together, an activity carried out by Kate and William’s choice of family holidays.
The Prince and Princess of Wales took their children to the French Alps in March 2016 on their first family holiday with George and Charlotte.
A tweet from Kensington Palace’s Twitter account read: ‘This was their first holiday as a family of four and the first time either of the children had played in the snow.’
The photos reminded people of the vacation Diana would take William and Harry on.
The Prince and Princess of Wales took their children to the French Alps in March 2016, on their first family holiday with George and Charlotte
Other subtle similarities
There are many more moments where Kate has kept Princess Diana’s memory alive – even right down to when she left the hospital with Prince George as a baby.
She wore a light blue polka dot dress as she stood next to Prince William in the doorway of St Mary’s Hospital in 2013.
It resembles the photo of Diana holding newborn William in 1982, where she also wore a polka dot dress.
Similarly, when Prince Louis was born, in a sweet gesture, Kate donned a red dress reminiscent of the all-red outfit Princess Diana wore to present Prince Harry to the world.
Kate also seems to share many of the same parenting techniques as her mother-in-law, with both mothers escorting their children to school and not afraid to publicly display affection for their children.
Princess Diana has been passionate about child welfare throughout her life, a passion Kate reflects in her own life as well.