Duchess Sophie is fast becoming one of the most compelling royal style figures of the year, stepping out in a string of looks that appear strikingly similar to those worn by Princess Catherine. Long regarded as an anchor within the Royal Family, the Duchess of Edinburgh has taken on a more prominent role in recent years, earning praise for her quiet consistency and modern sensibility. 

With a well-documented closeness to the late Queen Elizabeth II and a reportedly warm relationship with the Princess of Wales, her evolving fashion choices feel far from accidental. Against that backdrop, it’s no surprise that Sophie, 60, seems to be taking cues from Catherine’s polished, contemporary approach to royal dressing. 

From tailored coats to timeless winter staples, the parallels have been impossible to ignore – and all have played out within the first days of January alone. We’ve broken down Duchess Sophie’s near-identical style moments so far, signalling that 2026 may already be shaping up to be a notably coordinated year for royal fashion.

Princess Catherine’s 43rd birthday portraits marked a clear shift towards pared-back, off-duty royal dressing, signalling a confident embrace of simplicity. Her choice of dark-wash jeans, a crisp white shirt and a streamlined black jacket set a template for modern, low-key elegance. 

Taking a clear page from Catherine’s style book, Duchess Sophie appeared to adopt that same formula during her visit to England Hockey at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre earlier this week. 

While she introduced a checked scarf to reflect her own countryside-leaning style, the overall silhouette – fitted denim paired with tailored outerwear, closely mirrored the future Queen’s approach. 

The timing and similarity of the look reinforced the growing sense that Sophie is increasingly aligning her wardrobe with the Princess of Wales. 

Duchess Sophie turned heads yesterday as she arrived in Sheffield to visit Skills Street, stepping out in a look that felt strikingly familiar. 

Her ensemble echoed a silhouette long championed by Princess Catherine, who opts for bold colours. Wearing a rich burgundy coat with a sharp, tailored cut, Sophie coordinated the look with matching heels and a structured handheld bag in the same deep wine tone. 

The tonal dressing felt deliberate and refined, mirroring Catherine’s well-documented fondness for monochromatic palettes that project confidence and authority. 

The result was a moment of understated fashion harmony: regal, modern and impeccably composed. In a single appearance, Sophie delivered a Vogue-worthy lesson in power dressing.

On the same day, both women also made strikingly similar jewellery choices. Duchess Sophie wore the Giulia Barela Nodo Small Pendant, a fine gold design that sat neatly against her burgundy layers. 

Princess Catherine, meanwhile, chose a discreet birthstone necklace, keeping her accessory understated and personal. 

The matching approach to jewellery reinforced a royal style narrative centred on subtle coordination and consistency, rather than competition.

Princess Catherine’s quietly confident approach to dressing has set the blueprint for modern royal style, making her a natural point of reference within the family. Duchess Sophie’s recent looks show just how influential that template has become, reinforcing Catherine’s position as the standard-bearer for contemporary royal fashion.