The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh began a three-day official visit to Finland on Monday 26 October, and the Duchess’s first outfit of the trip has already started a conversation. As Vanity Fair Italia points out, her checked jacket and skirt look remarkably like an outfit Diana, Princess of Wales, wore more than four decades ago.
Autumn tailoring at Helsinki City Hall
The couple’s first public engagement was at Helsinki City Hall, where they were welcomed by the city’s mayor, Daniel Sazonov, and his wife, Anita Westerholm. Buckingham Palace has said the visit marks the close, long-standing relationship between the UK and Finland, with engagements on defence and security, business and innovation, culture and education. It is the couple’s first official trip to the country since 2015.
For the occasion, the Duchess chose a two-piece by Gabriela Hearst: a cropped, fitted jacket and a pleated midi skirt in a houndstooth check of beige, copper and chocolate brown. Town & Country and Tatler report that she wore it with a pale blue blouse, suede ankle boots by Jimmy Choo and a new clutch by Sophie Habsburg. HELLO! notes that she first wore Gabriela Hearst on royal duty in 2019, and the label has been a regular in her wardrobe ever since.
A look from 1981
What caught Vanity Fair Italia’s eye is the resemblance to a checked suit by Bill Pashley that Diana wore in August 1981, on the banks of the River Dee at Balmoral during her honeymoon. The pattern, the warm colours and the shape of the jacket and skirt are strikingly close. The magazine treats it as pure coincidence rather than a deliberate tribute, noting that the Duchess has never sought comparisons with her late sister-in-law, and sees it instead as proof that fashion always comes back round.
Checks, after all, have long been part of royal dressing. Tweeds and tartans belong to the countryside and riding traditions, yet they appear just as often on official visits, and this season houndstooth is everywhere again.
How to wear the mood
The beauty of a warm check is how easily it takes jewellery. Rich, earthy tones such as copper and chocolate sit well with deep red garnet earrings or a golden citrine pendant, while a fine bracelet adds polish at the cuff of a cropped jacket. For days out, a structured crossbody bag keeps the look neat and your hands free. Browse all our earrings for more ideas.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia, “Sophie di Edimburgo e quella mise a quadri che ricorda uno dei look più celebri di Diana” by Laura Scafati (27 October 2026); Town & Country; Tatler; HELLO! (27 October 2026); Good Housekeeping UK; Iltalehti. Featured image: AI-generated illustration.
