She’s a global style icon with immense selling power so it’s hardly surprising that women try and emulate the Duchess of Cambridge in the sartorial stakes.

But it seems someone a little closer to home has been taking some inspiration from the pregnant royal.

For most people, dressing like your mother is usually best avoided but clearly Kate and Carole aren’t bothered because the mother-daughter-duo stepped out in strikingly similar gowns at last night’s Royal Variety Performance.

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Similar style: The Duchess of Cambridge, left, and her mother Carole Middleton often dress similarly and last night’s Royal Variety Performance was no exception. The mother-daughter duo looked glamorous in lace black dresses

Glowing in a stunning floor length Diane von Furstenberg lace gown, Kate – who is 16 weeks pregnant – dazzled as she and William arrived at the London Palladium.

Carole, 59, meanwhile, seemingly opted for a shorter version of her daughter’s dress, which she teamed with strappy heels – a style often championed by Kate.

Both dresses were finished with lace – a strong story on the catwalks this season – and both women completed their outfits with dazzling jewels.

This isn’t the first time that the pair have dressed similarly. The Duchess of Cambridge doesn’t just share her mother’s sense of style, she apparently shares her clothes, too.

On trend: The pair looked stylish in black lace dresses. Kate wore her hair in a low chignon while Carole went for a half-up-half-down style at the event

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Family matters: Carole, 59, was joined by her husband Michael and teamed her lace dress with strappy heels – a style often championed by Kate

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Glamorous: The pregnant Duchess glowed with health as she left the event armed with a bouquet of flowers last night

Suits you: Carole Middleton wears the £650 Collette Dinnigan design in 2009 (left) while her daughter the duchess donned the same frock for a friend’s wedding in September 2011

Kate had clearly raided her mother’s wardrobe when she attended a wedding in September 2011 and found a £650 Collette Dinnigan design. She added a pillbox hat and black 4in Prada heels to make the look her own.

Carole Middleton had looked equally stunning when she wore the dress her own way in 2009 for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

A jaunty blue Jane Corbett fascinator is another winner with both mother and daughter.

Kate wore it to the wedding of Nicholas van Cutsem, one of William’s closest friends, while Carole tried it on for size at Royal Ascot the same year.

The pair also shared an eye-catching fur hat in 2006 – seen first on Carole when she was a surprise guest at Prince William’s passing out parade from Sandhurst in February 2006, then borrowed by Kate for a visit to the Cheltenham races the following month.

When off-duty, the Duchess and her mother (as well as Pippa) opt for skinny jeans tucked into knee-high leather boots and white shirts.

Feeling blue: The Duchess of Cambridge wore the same blue Reiss dress worn by her mother on the last day of Royal Ascot in 2010 as she gave her first public speech at The Tree House children’s hospice in 2012

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Mum knows best: Carol and Kate both wore the same jaunty blue Jane Corbett fascinator hat in 2011

It’s always been the case! The pair also share the same off-duty style, which they showcased back in 2005 at Gatcombe

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What Kate wore: Carole and Kate often wear similar outfits and opt for the same colour palette

Country style: Their out of hours uniform often consists of wellies, skinny jeans and sloane ranger jackets and tops

There’s no wonder Kate has been taking style tips from her mother, who recently pipped Camilla to the top spot when it comes to Queen of the ‘Glam-Mas’.

A survey revealed that 40 per cent of grandmother’s vote Carole as their poster girl. The survey also revealed that 88 per cent of British grandmother’s now consider themselves to be ‘Glam-mas’, and are a serious force to be reckoned with in the style stakes.

With the average age of a British grandparent now under 50, researchers have discovered that grandmothers are now choosing to step away from their traditional stereotype and as a result have become somewhat of a style inspiration for many of their younger family members.

So, the only question that remains is: who stole whose style?