Kate Middleton Repeats Emilia Wickstead Dress With Jane Corbett Hat For Garden Party

As if Grazia's Great British issue wasn't enough to get us jubilant about the Jubilee, we've just caught sight of Kate Middleton enjoying a spot of afternoon tea with HRH the Queen. But this isn't any old ladies tea party — oh no. This is a garden party to kick start the mammoth Diamond Jubilee celebrations with no less than 8,000 guests in attendance and all on the rather plush grounds of Buckingham Palace this very afternoon. How delightful!

The garden party is a long-held tradition that the royal family organises to celebrate those kind folk who have contributed to public life. Guests will be enjoying iced coffee, mini strawberry scones and cucumber sandwiches as well as miniature chocolate mousse cakes *licks lips* so in quintessential English style, there's LOTS of royal tea-sipping, sandwich-nibbling and hob-knobbing. Sadly Wills is busy with his RAF duties but the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are there to lend support to our Kate who's working the crowd like a true pro.

So let's turn our attention to the Duchess of Cambridge's garden party attire, shall we? And LOOK! K-Middy has chosen the very same coat dress she wore to the World Sovereign Lunch earlier this month. Oh yes, the thrifty Duchess is at it again! The rose pink Emilia Wickstead number is made of double crepe wool and features long sleeves, a pleated skirt and modest knee-length hemline so is a suitably demure choice for today's formal occasion but we can't help but wonder: why repeat the dress so soon? And for her first EVER Buckingham Palace garden party too?

You'll remember it was just eleven days ago that Kate wore the dress by Brit-based designer Wickstead to meet 60 other royals at a swanky Windsor Castle luncheon. The look was accessorised with matchy champagne-coloured Prada pumps and clutch as well as a brooch, loose tumbling curls and a glass of tipple.

But today, the DoC has freshened up the dress thanks to a pale pink Jane Corbett hat, pearl drop earrings, those nude LK Bennett heels and matching clutch, polished off with a swept-back hair 'do. The milliner shared her excitement at seeing the Duchess wearing her design by taking to her blog: 'Absolutley trilled that HRH The Duchess of Cambridge chose to wear one of my hats to her first Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this afternoon, how wonderful!'

We're sure Queenie's pretty chuffed too. Royal historian Sir Roy Strong claimed this week that one is very fond of the Duchess' willingness to wear the same outfit twice and HRH very much approves of Kate's decision not to 'spend, spend, spend'. This dress did cost £1,200, after all.

Of course, Kate is already known for recycling her outfits and often raids her sister - and mum's - wardrobe for those  public outings. It all began when she rewore that white Reiss dress from the official engagement portrait on her fash-tour of Canada and lest we forget when she sported the very same blue frock (also by Reiss) for her first speech that Carole had wore to Ascot two years earlier.

But what do you make of the Duchess' recycling ways? Let us know in the box below...