How Queen Mary of Denmark has been channelling Kate Middleton's regal fashion sense as she steps into her new role

Down to their elegant grace and easy charisma, it's no wonder that the Princess of Wales and Queen Mary of Denmark have been compared to one another time and time again.

The pair are alike not only in their manners and character, but their effortlessly glamorous sense of style. 

And as the newly crowned European monarch, 52, has stepped into her new role after Queen Margrethe II's abdication earlier this year, she has continued to channel Kate Middleton's sophisticated fashion in her wardrobe choices.

Both women are fans of deep tones, sharp tailored suits and rewearing brands and pieces they're fond of. 

Just this weekend, Mary appeared to take inspiration from Kate as she donned a grey patterned jumper, black Seeland Cottage Quilt Lady Waistcoat and floppy hat - to open a Deer Park in Dyrehaven, just north of Copenhagen (left)

Just this weekend, Mary appeared to take inspiration from Kate as she donned a grey patterned jumper, black Seeland Cottage Quilt Lady Waistcoat and floppy hat - to open a Deer Park in Dyrehaven, just north of Copenhagen.

The country-chic look was reminiscent of the Princess's dressed down ensemble at COP26 in Glasgow, in 2021.

Kate wore black jeans, a polo neck a khaki green gilet, her favourite pair of £250 See by Chloe boots and a Scouts woggle to meet Cub and Beaver Scouts.

Elsewhere, Mary and Kate, 42, once again twinned with recent all-navy looks. Mary, who earlier this month attended the Freedom Museum in Copenhagen, donned an elegant long trench coat which she tied at the waist.

The Queen paired this with a fashionable wide-brimmed hat and blue leather gloves.

Putting her best fashion foot forward, Mary opted to pair the outfit with heeled tawny leather boots.

It harked back to Kate's regally cerulean ensemble at Sandringham this Christmas.

The Princess of Wales looked effortlessly chic as she joined Prince William, the King and the rest of the royal family in a blue Alexander McQueen coat and customised Gianvito Rossi ‘Glen 85’ boots at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Norfolk Estate.

Elsewhere, Mary and Kate, 42, once again twinned with recent all-navy looks. Mary, who earlier this month attended the Freedom Museum in Copenhagen, donned an elegant long trench coat which she tied at the waist (left) 

Both royals are also well-known for enjoying chic suits. In January, Mary carried out her first solo engagement since securing the throne as she watched Denmark secure a silver medal in the Handball European Championship (left)

Pale and interesting: Mary in Beulah in 2020 and Kate in a pink version of the same outfit in 2023

Both royals are also well-known for enjoying chic suits. In January, Mary carried out her first solo engagement since securing the throne as she watched Denmark secure a silver medal in the Handball European Championship.

She opted for a smart tailored blazer for her occasion. The monarch paired her burgundy blazer with a white silk shirt and smart black trousers. 

The look channelled Kate's own variant, which she donned in a slick promo video for the Shaping Us National Symposium in November. 

The royal's silhouette, clad in a chic burgundy power-suit, was stylishly contrasted with the white walls surrounding her as she prepares for her keynote speech.

The Princess sported one of her favourite looks - a maroon £750 blazer from Roland Mouret teamed with matching £450 wide-leg trousers.

Adding a pop of brightness, the mother-of-three donned a £149 white shirt bodysuit from Holland Cooper clothing. To accessorise, she opted for £72 pearl earrings from Shyla. 

The royal has also worn the ensemble for a visit to Boston, Massachusetts in 2022. 

Frequently referred to as the Danish royal family's 'greatest asset', Mary, a 51-year-old Australian, is beloved by her Queen and by her adopted country, where her cheerful demeanour, tireless work ethic and impeccable style have won her endless praise.

It all rather reminds us of another princess — our own Princess of Wales. Like Mary, Kate is a 'commoner' who married an heir to the throne. Like Mary, Kate transitioned into her role as a royal and a mother with grace and dedication.

Suits you: Mary (left) in teal Massimo Dutti in 2022 and Kate in Burberry in 2023. Both are known to enjoy suits

Pastel princesses: Mary in 2015 and Kate in 2018, both in an Emilia Wickstead dress now dubbed 'The Kate'

Copycats: Mary dons a £572 dress by British brand Beulah in 2019, while Kate wears the same design in July 2020

But these parallels are nowhere near as striking as those between their wardrobes. They may live 800 miles apart, but so similar is their style it's tempting to imagine they share a closet. Even the late Chanel designer, Karl Lagerfeld, once dubbed them 'royal sisters'.

Kate may be ten years Mary's junior, but both women are brunettes and have slim, athletic builds, so they suit similar colours, prints and styles. Exactly how similar is nothing short of incredible.

Of the millions of dresses in the world, it seems astonishing they should choose identical ones on so many occasions. On a visit to Norfolk in 2020, Kate wore the same £572 blue dress by British brand Beulah that Mary had worn in Indonesia a year earlier.

Then, in June 2021, Kate wore a pale pink buttoned-up £720 dress by Beulah to Wimbledon, echoing Mary, who had worn the same design in cream to open an art exhibition the previous year.

Two graces: Mary wears a lace dress by Jesper Hovring in 2022, emulating Kate in 2019, when she wore an Alexander McQueen £4,000 guipure lace gown

Shades of grey: Mary in 2019 and Kate, wearing a tank top by Samantha Cameron’s brand Cefinn, in 2023

These aren't their only instances of twinning. In 2018, Kate wore a £1,350 lilac Emilia Wickstead frock to a mental health summit in London, three years after Mary had worn the blue version in Japan.

While Mary may have worn the style first, Kate has it in cobalt, olive and teal, and Wickstead has now dubbed her design 'The Kate' in her honour.

If Mary has noticed these stylistic dupes, she hasn't let it affect her easy camaraderie with Kate, as demonstrated when the latter visited Copenhagen in February 2022. Both women seemed as happy to share a joke as they are a penchant for drop pearl earrings.

Team Tartan: Mary in 2019 and Kate last year. Both women are known to enjoy the pattern, especially during colder months

Red stars: Mary in a dress she first wore in 2019 and Kate in Alexander McQueen in 2023. Both enjoy bright colours

If the cap fits: Mary in Under Armour in 2018 and Kate's similarly sporty look in 2022. The pair are both athletic

Rather than deliberate copy-catting, it's more likely the two women are mindful of which outfits work well in their public-facing roles, favouring slim-fit tailoring and eye-catching prints.

Such as tartan: when Kate visited Liverpool with Prince William in January 2023, she wore a tartan coat by Holland Cooper that called to mind Mary's Baum und Pferdgarten coat, worn in 2019.

The two princesses also own a black lace dress: Mary's Jesper Hovring (£1,000) and Kate's Alexander McQueen (£4,000) being cases in point.

As for what this year will bring them, one thing is certain: both will set the standard for how a queen should look in the 21st century.