Sometimes Kate Middleton pays homage to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana, in a subtle way, but other times, like this week at Royal Ascot, she pays homage to Princess Diana in an overt way.

Not only did the Duchess of Cambridge pay homage to Princess Diana's own horse racing event, but while Kate wore a polka-dot look at Royal Ascot, Princess Diana wore hers at the 1986 Epsom Derby.

Kate made her 2022 Royal Ascot debut with her husband, Prince William, in the iconic horse carriage procession on Friday. Kate's brown and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich is the Duchess' new favorite. Polka dots have been a favorite of Kate's for the past few months; she wore it to Prince Philip's Thanksgiving in March and again at the Platinum Jubilee celebration earlier this month.

Diana's own polka-dot look was worn at the 1986 Epsom Derby, where she wore a white dress with a classic pattern by Victor Edelstein. A similar dotted hat was by Frederick Fox.

Kate's appearance at Royal Ascot came in the midst of a heatwave, with temperatures reaching 90°F, and for the first time at Ascot, men were allowed to remove their jackets and ties.

Another Ascot first - according to The Independent, this was the first time Her Majesty had missed the lead role in the Royal Diary since her accession to the Queen in 1952.