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Duchess of Cambridge crowned number one royal fashion icon – beating Meghan Markle

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 29: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits LEYF (London Early Years Foundation) Stockwell Gardens Nursery & Pre-School on January 29, 2020 in London, England. The visit follows the launch last week by The Duchess of the survey '5 Big Questions on the Under Fives'.  (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The Duchess of Cambridge visits LEYF (London Early Years Foundation) Stockwell Gardens Nursery & Pre-School on January 29, 2020 in London, England. [Photo: Getty]

The Duchess of Cambridge has been crowned the number one royal fashion icon.

Duchess Kate, 38, has been firmly in the spotlight since November 2010, when her engagement to Prince William was announced.

And it seems her style remains the favourite of the British public, even more so than that of the newer addition to the Royal Family, the Duchess of Sussex, also 38.

In research conducted by the Fashion Retail Academy, some 47.8% said they favoured Kate Middleton as the best royal fashion icon, compared to 20.1% who voted for her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge joins a workshop run by the National Portrait Gallery's Hospital Programme at Evelina Children's Hospital on January 28, 2020 in London, England. HRH is Patron of Evelina London Children's Hospital and Patron of the National Portrait Gallery. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The Duchess of Cambridge pictured attending a workshop run by the National Portrait Gallery's Hospital Programme at Evelina Children's Hospital on January 28, 2020. [Photo: Getty]

Duchess Kate also proved consistently popular among different age groups. Some 50.67% of the youngest age groups (18-24 year olds) favoured her style, and this varied little among the oldest age group (55+).

While Duchess Meghan scored well among the younger age groups (37.22% among 18-24 year olds, and 31.50 among 25-34), she fared less well among the older groups – scoring just 9.07% of the vote among the 55+ group.

The Queen came in third place behind the duchesses – with one in ten voting the monarch their main royal style influencer, thanks to her bright coat dresses and matching hats.

As for the men, Prince Harry beat his brother overall, scoring 14% of the vote while Prince William was voted for by 11% of respondents.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving after their visit to Canada House, central London, to meet with Canada's High Commissioner to the UK, Janice Charette, as well as staff, to thank them for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada. Picture date: Tuesday January 7, 2020. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire PA (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pictured during their visit to Canada House on 7 January 2020. [Photo: Getty]

Lee Lucas, principal and CEO of the Fashion Retail Academy, commented on the results: “Meghan may have commanded more column inches recently but it is Kate who has emerged as the royal leading the fashion stakes by a country mile.

“Ever since newspapers became widely available in the UK, the royal family has influenced people's style, and nowadays with the internet and social media at their disposal, it’s even easier for people to mimic their outfit choices.

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KING'S LYNN, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew, Duke of York attend church at St Mary the Virgin church at Hillington in Sandringham on January 19, 2020 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew, Duke of York attend church at St Mary the Virgin church at Hillington in Sandringham on January 19, 2020. [Photo: Getty]

"In addition to well-known designers, both duchesses have been seen wearing high street names such as Zara, Topshop and Marks & Spencer, which immediately makes them more relatable to the British public and their fashion choices more accessible.

“The sheer influence they have is apparent when photos emerge of them wearing items from high street retailers which then sell out in minutes.

“By embracing the fashion world and Princess Diana’s often daring style, Kate has learned how to balance trends with tradition, and it’s nice to see that she is keeping tradition alive."

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