No one doubted their eyes when Kate Middleton recently accepted a fashion design award on behalf of the Queen.

In her 11 years as a member of the British royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge has established herself as a fashion icon.

But for royal expert Duncan Larcombe, the Duchess's style prowess goes even further, and she is now a veritable member of fashion royalty, on par with the late Princess Diana.

"When I saw the pictures, I realized once again that Kate is the new Princess Diana in terms of style," Larkom recently told OK! She was there to present an award for fashion design and dominated the headlines, even though some might see it as a rather conservative outfit choice"

. [All I can say about this dress, and the many other outfits Kate has worn over the past year, is how confident she is becoming. I think this is all part of the maturity of the Duchess."

The royal writer added, "We must remember that it was Kate's sense of fashion and style that caught Prince William's eye when she wore a see-through outfit at the charity fashion show.

For experts, no other person in the royal family today comes close to the Duchess' style and her level of influence.

"I think of her outfits at the Christmas Carol Service, the Earthshot Awards, and the premiere of No Time to Die, only to be overshadowed by William dressed as James Bond. Given the last 18 months or so, the only royal to whom she can be compared in that regard is Princess Diana."

Larcombe added, "The other royals are always lovely, and occasionally Zara Tindall, Beatrice, or Eugenie shine. Oops, that's harsh, Ty.

Considering how much everyone adored Princess Diana, it's obviously big shoes to fill, but Larcombe thinks the Duchess of Cambridge is at least close. 'Does she have the same kind of influence as Princess Diana? 'You only have to look at the sales figures for the outfits she wears. 'When Kate wears a ready-to-wear dress, it sells out immediately.

Hmmm, true. But hot tip, you can still get her patterned Tory Burch dress from Rent the Runway (open in new tab) and the all-in-one cream dress from Self Portrait.