Carole Middleton just made a stylish debut at Cheltenham in navy and chocolate brown - and her hat looks rather familiar

I fully expect Zara Tindall to attend Cheltenham Festival every single day again this year, but seeing Carole Middleton joining her on Day 2 took me totally by surprise. She’s partial to a day at the races and she’s stepped out at Ascot multiple times before, though this marked Carole’s Cheltenham debut and she made it in serious style.

The Princess of Wales’s mum steered away from the brights and pastels that are this year’s spring/summer fashion colour trends and dressed in head-to-toe navy and brown. This is such a classic colour combination and meant each individual piece would be so simple to re-style.

Carole’s coat has been in her collection since at least 2017 and although this British clothing brand no longer makes the exact design, it still sells very similar ones. Single-breasted, with long sleeves and a collared neckline, it’s smart yet streamlined.

Recreate Carole's Look

I personally love double-breasted coats and blazers, though they can be bulkier and as we head into warmer weather it’s nice to switch things up. The Middleton matriarch’s coat had a structured shape which made it feel elevated and it could be thrown on with casual items like jeans and jumpers to dress them up slightly.

For her first appearance at Cheltenham Carole went for something more sophisticated and added a faux fur scarf for cosiness and glamour. Her knee-high chocolate brown boots had chic block heels and she carried not one, but two bags.

Hermes Birkins are the pinnacle if you love designer handbags and it’s fitting for the mother of the future Queen that Carole’s was especially luxurious. It was a deep brown with gold hardware and a textured ostrich finish and she was pictured carrying it by the top handle as she arrived at the racecourse.

At other points throughout the day she also had a brown suede Emmy London Natasha clutch which was daintier and would also have fitted inside her bigger bag. These two accessories are incredibly high-end, though the principle of matching your bags to your shoes - or even having a bigger and smaller bag with you - is clever.

Carole Middleton frequently uses colour coordination to give her ensembles a put-together, polished edge and it’s so easy to do. Even her Hicks & Brown Suffolk hat tied in with its navy base colour and the brown mottled feather band running around it.

Eagle-eyed fans might recognise this headpiece as the Princess of Wales has worn the same design before.

In January 2020 she attended church near Sandringham House with this same hat on and although we can’t know for sure whether she and Carole both bought one (they have similar fashion tastes after all) it’s always possible she borrowed it from Kate.

Either way, it’s a final flourish that tied everything together, incorporating both brown and navy and exemplifying the countryside chic style. These two colours are neutral and yet softer than black, so they work well for spring when you want to brighten up your outfits.

Carole Middleton’s look complemented the other royals who were there on Day 2 of Cheltenham too, including Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall and Princess Anne.