Queen Letizia Borrows A Page Out of Kate Middleton’s Royal Style Playbook

Princess Kate Middleton has made the shirt dress a major focal point of her Royal wardrobe over the years. And not too far away, so too has another very stylish monarch: Spain’s Queen Letizia. Today, the Spaniard made Princess Kate’s go-to silhouette her own while attending an event in Barcelona.

Letizia slipped into a bold Carolina Herrera look for a series of afternoon meetings. The focal point of her dress was its fuchsia watercolor print that created a stark contrast to the white shirting fabric underneath. In true Princess Kate style, Letizia cuffed the sleeves of her maxi for a casual effect and left a couple buttons open at the top. The Queen cinched the dress’s belt for an hourglass figure and rounded everything off with chunky Boss heels, dainty earrings, and a pin-straight hair style.

Although Princess Kate’s recent appearances have been few and far between due to cancer treatment, she’s continually made a habit out of wearing tailored shirt dresses while in the public eye—whether it be a in a Diana-approved print or something more pared-back like a re-worn emerald green number. Letizia approached the style in the same regal manner as Kate historically has, but with a vibrant twist only she could pull off.

Last week, Letizia appeared to take a style cue from another type of royalty (runway, that is) during the ABC International Journalism Awards in Madrid. She sported a tweed and satin number from the Gigi Hadid-approved label Self-Portrait. Her dress turned the business uniform on its head, moving from a glam sleeveless vest up top into a whimsy maxi skirt.

For a monarch of her stature, Letizia isn’t one to shy away from turning her Royal duties into a showcase of her standout style. And with no insight as to when Kate Middleton will re-emerge in front of the public eye next following her Wimbledon outing, Letizia seems content with sitting atop the shirt dress throne for now.