Carole Middleton Borrows from Kate Middleton's Closet for a Day at the Races with Queen Camilla

Janine HenniWed, March 11, 2026 at 7:46 PM UTC

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(Left) Carole Middleton at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11, 2026; (Right) Kate Middleton in Sandringham on Jan. 5, 2020Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty;Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty -

Carole Middleton attended Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival, joining Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Zara Tindall

She wore a Hicks & Brown fedora, believed to be borrowed from the closet of her daughter, Kate Middleton

Carole and Princess Kate share a similar sense of style

Carole Middleton accessorized for her day at the races with a hat that might belong to her daughter, Kate Middleton.

On March 11, the Princess of Wales' mother stepped out to attend Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival, joining Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Zara Tindall at the event.

Carole, 71, topped off her outfit with a hat by Hicks & Brown, making a statement in what appears to be the navy Suffolk Fedora with bronze wrap.

The British brand says the style is a bestseller, and Carole's accessory is believed to have been borrowed from her daughter's closet.

Carole Middleton at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11, 2026.Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty

In January 2020, Princess Kate, 44, sported Hicks & Brown's navy Suffolk Fedora when she attended church with Prince William at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, making her debut in the label founded in 2014.

Speaking to PEOPLE about the fashion statement, Hicks & Brown co-founder Alice Leet-Cook said at the time, "Kate usually wears more formal styles, but she was attending church on a winter’s day, and our hats are made from wool, so they do add a bit of warmth."

Though Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was the first British royal to sport a Hicks & Brown fedora several years before, the brand couldn't confirm if Prince William's aunt referred the label to Kate.

"There is a high possibility, but honestly, we don’t know," Leet-Cook told PEOPLE about the royal overlap. "Kate’s team got in touch with us at the end of last year, and we were just thrilled. We spent most of Sunday jumping around the room, over the moon once we saw she had actually worn it!"

Prince William and Kate Middleton attend church at Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on Jan. 5, 2020.Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Princess Kate later sported Hicks & Brown fedoras in other colors, wearing the Suffolk Fedora in olive green with bronze wrap in a rare home video she and William released for their tenth wedding anniversary in April 2021. The video followed the royal couple in the Norfolk countryside with their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, giving an intimate glimpse into their private home life.

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In August 2024, Kate wore another Suffolk Fedora in dark brown with a feather when she headed to church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Princess Kate and her mom share a similar sense of classic fashion (as well as a tight bond), and Carole has even worn the same dresses as her daughter before.

Carole was photographed smiling at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. The four-day equestrian event is described as the pinnacle of the jump racing calendar, and Carole spent time with several members of the royal family on the sidelines at what's described as the Olympics of horse racing.

The Princess of Wales' mother was pictured in a group photo that included Princess Anne's daughter Zara and her husband, Mike Tindall, where Zara was technically on the clock. The former Olympian and pro rider is the director of Cheltenham Racecourse and attends the festival every year.

Mike Tindall, Zara Tindall, James Nesbitt, Carole Middleton, Natalie Pinkham and Brendan Moran at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11, 2026.Credit: BACKGRID

Zara, 44, wasn't the only royal with a job to do at Cheltenham, as Queen Camilla, 77, also had a formal role. The Queen is Joint Patron of the Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horseracing, and her attendance on Wednesday was an official engagement.

Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, 75, and Carole were photographed having a laugh in a suite together, providing a rare look at the dynamic between them.

Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Carole Middleton and James Nesbitt at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11, 2026.Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty

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The Queen and Anne have known Carole for years, as Kate married William in 2011. The Princess of Wales' mother and Party Pieces founder is known to join the royals at social events and chatted with King Charles at Royal Ascot, another horse race, last summer.

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