Meghan Markle's Trooping The Colour dress was a subtle nod to Diana

And we almost missed it

(Image credit: Utrecht Robin/action press/REX/Shutterstock)

And we almost missed it

While we were busy noticing how thoughtful Prince Harry was with Meghan Markle on the balcony during their Trooping The Colour appearance, and the sweet moment she shared with sister-in-law Kate Middleton, we almost missed one key detail: that her dress was a subtle nod to Princess Diana.

First off, the Duchess of Sussex broke the style rules a little bit with a chic pale pink Carolina Herrera dress, while everyone else wore blue. This is apparently slightly against Royal protocol as it's a little revealing around the shoulders, though we like the fact that it echoes the neckline of her wedding dress.

kate middleton meghan markle trooping the colour

REX/Shutterstock

She teamed it with a Philip Treacy hat and clutch, possibly on the advice of Prince Harry, who apparently gives her fashion advice.

Now, some eagle eyed observers have pointed out that the design was actually very similar to a dress worn by Diana in 1987 in Germany.

The late Princess wore a powder pink ballgown by Catherine Walker to visit the Berlin Opera House. Although Meghan's dress was less extravagant, both dresses are the same shade and feature a very similar neckline, as well as buttons down the bodice.

Given that Meghan's Herrera dress was custom made, we'd like to think she drew on this look for inspiration, which wouldn't be the first time, as she wore Diana's ring on her wedding day.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.