Carole Middleton Hits The Royal Ascot In A Very Kate-y Outfit (PHOTOS)

While we swelter stateside, the Brits are out and about at the Royal Ascot, donning dress code-appropriate hats and all sorts of chic sheath dresses for the biggest horse race of the year.

It's hard to know where to focus: the hats are so wacky (one girl wore a plate of breakfast on her head) that we can't stop looking... but who cares when there are royals around! Princesses, duchesses, countesses and even a royal mother-in-law. On Thursday Carole Middleton got gussied up for the Royal Ascot's Ladies Day... and she looked a lot like her famous daughter.

Mama Middleton donned a long-sleeve red coat over a matching red dress, topping it off with a large red hat, a brooch, a nude clutch and nude pumps (hm, sounds familiar...) If the outfit reminded you of Catherine, that's because it was a dead ringer for the red Catherine Walker ensemble the duchess wore on her Canadian Royal Tour.

Come to think of it, it also looks much like Kate's barge-riding outfit from the Diamond Jubilee boat parade, worn three weeks ago.

The similarity shouldn't shock, as the Middleton girls have raided each other's wardrobes before -- at the Royal Ascot, no less: Carole attended the event in 2010 wearing a blue Reiss dress borrowed from Kate.

So how does Carole's outfit stack up? Check her look, her daughterly inspiration and tons more pics from the 2012 Royal Ascot below.

PHOTOS:

See all the dukes, countesses, princesses and wild hats at the 2012 Royal Ascot!

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• June 21, 2012

  Carole Middleton. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Carole Middleton. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Carole Middleton. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Princess Eugenie. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Princess Beatrice. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Amy Childs. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Katherine Jenkins. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

  Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice. (Getty photo)

• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 21, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

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• June 20, 2012

  Sophie, Countess of Wessex. (Getty photo)

• June 20, 2012

  Florence Brudenell-Bruce. (Getty photo)

• June 20, 2012

  Queen Elizabeth II. (Getty photo)

• June 20, 2012

  Queen Elizabeth II & Princess Haya bint Al Hussein. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Prince Phillip. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Queen Elizabeth II. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein & Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Cornwall & Prince Charles, (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

  Princess Eugenie. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

  Caroline Sieber. (Getty photo)

• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

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• June 19, 2012

  Dress code assistants. (Getty photo)

• June 19

  Dress code assistants. (Getty photo)

• Eccentic Hats at Royal Ascot

  At Royal Ascot in Berkshire, ladies so far have kept to the new dress code which includes knee length dresses. .

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Comments

[grittz28]

08:02 PM on 09/19/2012

Wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of those ridiculous ugly hats.

[Kelley Chapman Chandler]

09:13 PM on 06/25/2012

There will never be another Diana....I still miss her so! Wish she could have been here to see her beautiful sons grow and marry! What a tragedy!

[Manchesterian]

05:19 PM on 06/25/2012

Hey Kate!

What's a little curtseying when you have got Prince William, will one day be queen and each and every day you are the most beautiful woman to ever enter and inhabit that family since the late Princess of Wales. The counter-welcoming ceremony is now in play, don't let them grind you down or see you sweat. Before long they will see that you are made of stronger stuff than they anticipate. Keep your eyes on the throne and your very beautiful husband. And remember to spend at the very least two weekends in your your mother's/family home. Donot forget that this is where you learned to become YOU, return for replenishment and unconditional love often. Show the Palace crew that you are made of stronger stuff than all of the others they have managed to break. You my fair Duchess must keep your eyes upon the prize.

[G Goo]

01:04 PM on 06/24/2012

My o' My, why are there so many unkind comments??

I think they all look lovely!

[verticallychallenged]

11:47 PM on 06/23/2012

Photo #18 reminds me of "Pick-a-little, talk-a-little" from "The Music Man!"

[StevieTheK]

05:39 PM on 06/22/2012

Someone once asked me to use Ascot in a sentence and I said something roughly to the effect of, "I tried to sneak into the movies the other night but I got my Ascot and they threw me out"

[L E M B]

01:19 PM on 06/22/2012

Up close their skin looks so old. Isn't there a skin and makeup consultant that she can hire?

[ABXNOMORE]

05:40 PM on 06/22/2012

Of course there must be but they don't seem to know any thing about proper skin care. Even with over exposure to the sun, smoking, poor diet and genetics much can be done these days to improve the appearance of one's skin. That's what professionals do, make you look better.

Mrs. Middleton's hair looks dry, over processed and unkempt, fly a way and shaggy. Can't she find a good stylist. Her makeup is dreadful and so are her eyebrows. There are consultants and professionals for that, too.

[Angie Daniels]

12:54 PM on 06/22/2012

Looks a little bit like a scene from Monty Python.

[Virginia Caminer]

12:47 AM on 06/22/2012

Kate Middleton always looks nice. She's young and young women wear dresses cut above the knee. As for her and her mother borrowing each other's clothes--nothing wrong with that. That's just good economics.

[Susan Shaffer]

03:43 AM on 06/22/2012

I was thinking pippa would end up looking like mum while kate would look like pops.

[ABXNOMORE]

10:48 AM on 06/22/2012

Kate will have the luxury of an easy life and access to good skin care, which always helps, but it's apparent already that she has the same kind of skin as her mother.

[theredqueen]

05:36 PM on 06/21/2012

Good to see Prince Phillip looking his usual dashing self. He was certainly one of the handsomest and gallant of men with a perfect WW11 record (and I'm quite sure one of the naughtiest many times after the war). Really a perfect foil for the Queen. The Queen methinks is still in love with him in spite, or maybe because of, his rumored bad boy behavior. Anyhow, here's to his improving good health.

[Wistfulslinking]

05:00 PM on 06/21/2012

What Mrs. Middleton could use is a good course in grooming.

Her uncombed and obviously less then fresh hair always seem in need of a good shampoo and brushing.

Both are beginning to learn that lined and tailored clothing are what is worn, not cheap, terndy, unlined fabrics cut far too short over the knee.

If only both would seek advice on their horridly outdated and overdone eye maquillage, that and their flat pale pink lipsticks cheapen most of their ensembles.

[ABXNOMORE]

07:48 PM on 06/21/2012

In this case I agree with you one hundred percent.

[GracieGiraffe]

04:23 PM on 06/21/2012

Yeah... that dress code police thing was a really good idea, wasn't it?

[ABXNOMORE]

04:29 PM on 06/21/2012

It looks more like Madri Gras, to me! Scary, if this was an improvement over previous years.

[Wistfulslinking]

05:01 PM on 06/21/2012

The tickets have become far to accessible, thankfully, the private enclosures don't admit the hoi polloi.

[agness nutter]

10:44 PM on 06/21/2012

I did have a smile for the Tattooed Lady scofflaw who sneaked in to Royal Ascot and described the rules as "pretentious".

[theredqueen]

04:13 PM on 06/21/2012

Mrs. M has rather a hard look.

[ABXNOMORE]

04:26 PM on 06/21/2012

She dresses nicely but her hair, makeup and eyebrows need serious help.

[ABXNOMORE]

07:02 PM on 06/21/2012

The hard look comes from that worn weathered looking skin and both of her daughters have it, too. It's not because of her age. It's probably both a combination of lifestyle and genetics.

[GrownupStewie]

03:49 PM on 06/21/2012

its time to retire nude heels.