OK, so it’s not the same event, but as two high-profile figures in the same family, at two high-profile events in the same week, it was noticeable.
It’s not hard to see why both women fell for the £1,350 silk linen organza dress. Its structured silhouette looks ultra-smart and won’t crease too easily – important when you’re being photographed from every angle. It also looks summery without showing too much skin.
There was a 48-hour window of time for Princess Beatrice to abort her sartorial plans and trade the Zimmermann dress for another – although her Juliette Botterill Millinery headband was probably designed and dyed to match it. That she didn’t is telling: it’s just not the social faux pas it once was.
Isabel Spearman, a wardrobe consultant and founder of the Daily Dress Edit, agrees. “I would absolutely say it’s just shared good taste for a great dress,” she says. She’s been there too: “I have always smiled conspiratorially when seeing someone at an event in the same dress as mine.”
Both Princess Beatrice and the Duchess of Edinburgh are longtime fans of Zimmermann, an Australian label whose floral and lace dresses are flattering and meet dress code requirements for the British social season. Zara Tindall has a number of Zimmermann dresses in her wardrobe too.
The label has also been worn by many other European royals, among them Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Princess Madeleine of Sweden.
The likelihood of a twinning moment is even higher if you shop on the high street. Back in 2022, Queen Letizia of Spain found herself wearing the same £59.99 Mango dress as another woman at a function in Merida. The pair were seen laughing and embracing each other, neither embarrassed in the slightest. That’s the most graceful response to the situation, says etiquette expert Myka Meier. “If it happens, you simply embrace it. It’s not a faux pas in any way. Simply a sign of great style shared with another.”