Arguably one of the most beloved royals of our generation, Princess Diana of Wales held England and the world captive with her charm, impeccable style and altruism. For years after Dianas death, no other royal could escape the princess’s legacy (especially not Prince Charles new wife, Camilla Parker Bowles). But that all changed with the arrival of Kate Middleton; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge who emerged from Diana’s shadow as her younger, equally congenial counterpart. So as we celebrate what would’ve been Diana’s 55th birthday , here’s a side-by-side look at the two royals.

Princess Diana

A regal, layered version of the paperboy cut that helped redefine hair in the 80s. Princess Di’s chic style was both sophisticated and loyal to the crown, as the royal stuck to creations from British designers.

Kate Middleton

Long, bouncy brunette hair, which she’s worn up, down, blown out and with a fascinator Style. The duchess is known to mix high- and low-end designers, so mostly everything she’s photographed wearing sells out instantly; particularly the blue Issa dress she wore to announce her engagement to William, which inspired hundreds of different replicas

Before royalty

Princess Diana Worked as a babysitter, an executive, and a teacher’s assistant at the Young England Nursery School

Duchess Kate Worked for upmarket caterers at the Snatch Bar.

How she met her husband

Princess Diana was a friend of Prince Andrew, Prince Charles brother. Before the two met formally, Prince Charles briefly dated Diana’s sister Sarah, who re-introduced the pair a few years later.

Kate and Prince William attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where they both majored in art history. They dated for seven years

The big day

Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, where more than 600,000 people lined the streets to watch the procession. The couple served 27 wedding cakes.

Duchess Kate and Prince William were married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London before 2,000. Kate’s famous Alexander McQueen gown featured an eight-foot train. The couple served a traditional fruitcake topped with 900 flowers

World contributions

Following her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, Diana engaged in humanitarian work for the Red Cross and campaigned to rid the world of landmines. She visited more than 118 charities, but forced the media to keep her visits unannounced

Kate helped out with environmental programs and worked with underprivileged children in Chile. The duchess created The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The foundation is used as a charitable vehicle for all philanthropic activities

Favorite designer

Catherine Walker

Daniella Helayel, Alexander McQueen, Issa

Pets

A cat named Marmalade, and a guinea pig named Peanuts

A dog named Otto