Princess Kate and Queen Mary's many similarities
And one key difference...
Put the Princess of Wales and Queen Mary of Denmark side by side and if you squint hard enough, they could pass as sisters.
It's easy to see why Britain's queen-in-waiting and the (figuratively speaking) newly crowned Mary draw so many comparisons. Apart from their physical likeness and their unshakeable status as style queens (did you read Danielle's post about the return of the Kate Effect?), both royal women were born into middle-class families before upgrading to their royal rank.
They have plenty to bond over too. Mary, who turned 52 this month, and Kate, who is ten years younger, are both mothers devoted to their children and family life, as well as caring wives who understand their role in supporting their husbands.
Kate has been spending time away from the public eye as she recovers from abdominal surgery, but we all know how dedicated she is to her royal day job.
"I think that there are a lot of similarities between Kate and Mary," Juliet Rieden, Editor-at-Large of The Australian Women's Weekly, told me when I chatted to her last month. "Firstly, because they look similar. Secondly, because they're commoners who have become royals. And thirdly, because they've met on a few occasions and they seem to get on."
But Juliet also pointed out one key difference which made me think Kate and Mary aren't as comparable as you'd expect… for now. I'm going to go back to Juliet's point later, but firstly there is a strong case for Kate and Mary's comparisons.