OPINION: The new Mrs Phillips has found herself at the centre of a royal fashion storm, though the story behind the comparisons couldn’t be more different.
‘Harriet Sperling isn’t copying Princess Kate – she’s doing what Meghan never could’ (Image: Getty)
The internet has finally found someone new to accuse of copying Princess Catherine. For years, Meghan Markle was the woman constantly measured against the Princess of Wales.
Now, as the royal spotlight increasingly moves on, Harriet Sperling aka the new Mrs Phillips’ has found herself at the centre of exactly the same conversation. But there is one crucial difference.
The Meghan comparisons often felt rooted in rivalry. Harriet feels rooted in respect. One appeared to invite competition with the future Queen; the other looks more like admiration for the woman who has become the gold standard of modern royal style.
For years, royal fashion fans accused Meghan Markle of borrowing from her wardrobe. Every coat, every dress, every pair of heels sparked another round of social media debate.
Was Meghan inspired by Catherine? Was it a coincidence? Was it a copy? The truth hardly mattered. Once the narrative took hold, it has become impossible to shake – even to this very day.
Every appearance became a contest. Every outfit became a comparison. Every photograph was dissected as though it were evidence in a criminal investigation. Now, Meghan has seemingly left the chat.
In her place stands Harriet. Mrs Phillips has barely had time to settle into royal life, yet social media has already decided she is the latest woman copying Kate.
Harriet Sperling was accused of copying Princess Kate’s style at Royal Ascot last week (Image: Getty)
The accusations arrived almost immediately after Royal Ascot. The pale blue dresses. The elegant tailoring. The lace details. The carefully selected hats. Sound familiar? Of course they do. Because they are the very foundations upon which Princess Catherine has built her style empire.
But here’s where I think people are getting it wrong. Harriet doesn’t strike me as someone trying to become the next Princess of Wales. She strikes me as someone trying to learn from her.
And frankly, can you blame her?
Let’s be brutally honest. If you suddenly found yourself dating into the Royal Family, attending society weddings, Royal Ascot, charity galas and formal engagements, who would you study?
Harriet’s two Royal Ascot looks became the talk of the event after they mirrored Kate’s old looks (Image: Getty)
The woman who has spent more than a decade navigating every one of those occasions almost flawlessly.
Catherine has become the blueprint. Not just for royal women. For women generally. Women attending high profile events, women who are entering the work place, the list is endless.
There is a reason the “Kate effect” still exists after all these years. There is a reason dresses sell out within hours of her wearing them. There is a reason every royal woman eventually ends up being compared to her. Whether people like it or not, she is the benchmark.
And that’s exactly why Harriet is now finding herself under the microscope. The funny thing is that millions of women have copied Princess Catherine over the years.
They’ve bought the same coats. The same dresses. The same earrings. The same handbags. Entire Instagram accounts exist for the sole purpose of helping women recreate her wardrobe.
