Kate Middleton Recycles Mother's Dress For Her First Public Speech

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The Duchess of Cambridge looked calm, confident and chic as she gave her first public address as a member of the Royal Family today. And she did it without the supportive presence of her husband, Prince William, who is finishing his six-week tour of duty in the Falkland Islands.

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But instead of buying a smashing new outfit for her big speaking occasion, Middleton chose to recycle a Reiss dress she’d bought in 2008. She had snagged it from the High Street chain in Ipswich, Suffolk for around $225.00. 

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And it’s a dress that she’d also already loaned to her mother, Carole Middleton, to wear to the Ascot Races in 2010. Both ladies wore wide black belts and black pumps and purses to accessorize the cobalt blue long-sleeved frock.

Royal watcher say that Kate is quite a thrifty gal when it comes to clothes and that she often borrows outfits from her mother, 57, when she needs something special.

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It's surprising that both mother and daughter have the same taste. But what's absolutely shocking is that Kate's striking mother wears the same size as her daughter, age 30. Both of them look fabulous in this dress and if you don't believe us, view the photos here.

Kate spoke at The Treehouse, a children's charity run by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) that supports children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, England.