Kate Middleton told to stop pretending to be like Princess Diana

A royal commentator has urged Kate Middleton to stick to being her own great self and not try to be like the late Princess Diana.

Angela Levin made the comment after she compared photos of the Duchess of Cambridge to those taken of the late Princess of Wales in 1988 by photographer David Bailey. One picture shared a similarity to a portrait of the duchess released this year to celebrate her 40th birthday in January.

The photos show the royals posing to their side and looking out to the distance. Princess Diana's never-before-seen picture was in black and white, while Kate Middleton's in sepia. Both pictures gave the two women an ethereal look.

Princess Diana's portrait was reportedly taken during her seven-year anniversary to Prince Charles. She was 27 years old and by then, already a mum to Prince William and Prince Harry. On the other hand, the Duchess of Cambridge is already a mum of three and has been married to the Duke of Cambridge for over ten years.

Another similarity is in their choice of wardrobe. In the only full-colored snap of the duchess, she wore a bright red one-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown. Princess Diana also wore a similar style.

Levin shared her observations on Twitter and wrote, "I think Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge should stick to being herself." She added that Kate Middleton "doesn't need to try to be someone else including Diana" because she is already "great as she is."

Her reaction was met with disapproval from supporters of the duchess. One replied, "I have never seen Catherine Duchess of Cambridge being anything but herself. Nothing she has done has led me to think 'Diana did that.'"

Another wrote, "The Duchess of Cambridge never tried to be anyone else but herself. She has been in the public eye for over 20 years. A lot longer than that of Diana. The Duchess of Cambridge has made her own mark and done things her own way including creating her adorable family."

Bailey's portraits of Princess Diana and photos of Kate Middleton will go on display as part of the "Life Through a Royal Lens" exhibition at Kensington Palace on March 4.