Princesses Of The People! 24 Photos Proving Kate Middleton Is A Modern Version Of Lady Di

Kate Middleton was 29 years old when she married Prince William at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

Lady Diana Spencer had just turned 20 when she and Prince Charles walked down the aisle in a lavish ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.

Fans of the Royals often look to Kate Middleton for fashion cues.

But it was Princess Diana who really created a stir with her fashions whenever she appeared in public.

The Duchess of Cambridge has taken a page from Diana’s princess playbook and thrown herself into doing her royal duties, including touring Malaysia and other countries around the world.

Diana gravitated toward using her position of power to help others, such as when she visited the Shaukat Khanum Hospital In Lahore, Pakistan. “I knew what my job was,” Diana once said. “It was to go out and meet the people and love them.”

“I’m just very sad that she’s never going to get a chance to meet Kate,” Prince William has said of his bride, who shares Lady Di’s impeccable taste in fashion.

The glamorous Diana often stole the spotlight when she went out on the town—much like Kate does today.

Royal protocol has relaxed in recent years, making Kate’s private life a lot more comfortable than Diana’s ever could have been. The Duchess of Cambridge also had a lot more time to live her life before marrying into the world’s most famous family.

Royal protocol has relaxed in recent years, making Kate’s private life a lot more comfortable than Diana’s ever could have been. The Duchess of Cambridge also had a lot more time to live her life before marrying into the world’s most famous family.

Kate seems comfortable in her own skin while at official functions.

Princess Diana was often shy and unsure of herself, like during this official visit to Brazil.

Peeks of Kate’s playful side often shine through, such as when she wore this fiery red number and a big smile to celebrate the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012.

Diana also had a sassy side, which was captured on camera when she wore a Christina Stambolian gown to an event in 1994.

“She would have loved to have been there,” Prince Harry says of Lady Di missing her son Prince William’s marriage to Kate, who was the picture of composure on her wedding day.

Like Kate, the new Princess of Wales looked amazing when she got married—even if she would soon learn life was tough as a Royal. "Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be," she said.

Kate looked every bit as happy as Diana did while carrying the future heir to the throne.

Diana came into her own when she started a family.

From giving birth at St. Mary’s Hospital in London to later posing with her newborn baby boy, Kate followed her mother-in-law’s example of how to become a new mom in front of the world.

“She’s obviously an inspirational woman to look up to,” Kate says of Lady Di, here with Prince Charles presenting their newborn baby, William, to the public.

Unlike Diana, Kate seems to have a happy home life with her husband and their son, George.

Despite the smiles, Diana famously struggled in her doomed marriage to Prince Charles. "People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer to fulfillment. Actually a job is better for me," Diana famously sniped.

Similar and different in many ways, Kate admits she “would have loved to have met” Diana.

Diana is celebrated for who she was and what she represented. “No one is trying to fill my mother’s shoes, what she did is fantastic,” insists William.