Why Kate Middleton's velvet dress pays homage to Princess Diana

The Royal got social media in a case déjà vu after attending a recent event

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, recently attended the annual Royal Diplomatic Reception at the Buckingham Palace with her husband Prince William.

The reception is one of the most anticipated annual Royal events hosted by the Queen where members of the Diplomatic Corps based in London gather.

But it was the Royal's outfit that got social media talking in a case of déjà vu. Wearing a floor-length velvet gown by Alexander McQueen, Kate's outfit was seen as a tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's iconic 'Travolta dress,' reported Hello!

PHOTO: FILE

The famous gown Princess Diana wore for dance with the Hollywood actor John Travolta in 1985 was recently brought back to the Buckingham Palace. The outfit was purchased for a hefty amount of $347,000 in an auction.

The diamond and pearl headpiece Kate donned was given to Diana as a wedding gift from the Queen in 1981 and Kate first wore it in December 2015 for the Diplomatic Corps reception.

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But it’s the sweetheart neckline dress that’s most likely to be a nod to Diana. The iconic outfit worn by the Princess of Wales and designed by Victor Edelstein is known as one of her most famous looks.

The picture of her and Travolta twirling across the White House dance floor to a medley of Grease and Saturday Night Fever has become iconic, and the actor has described the experience as being "like a fairy tale".

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/KATE MIDDLETON ROYAL HIGHNESS

Diana wore the dress on multiple occasions after that, including at the London premiere of the film Wall Street in 1988. Eleri Lynn, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said, "We're delighted to have acquired this iconic evening gown for the royal ceremonial dress collection - a designated collection of national and international importance - over 20 years since it first left Kensington Palace."

She continued, "Not only is the 'Travolta' dress a fantastic example of couture tailoring designed to dazzle on a state occasion, it represents a key moment in the story of 20th-century Royal fashion."

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