Who are the celebrities that most people look up to? The top influencers on social media who boast millions of fans, and whom the public emulates ardently. You'd expect the answer to probably be the Kardashians right? Or someone very much like them; some reality TV stars who are famous for being famous (or for breaking the internet).
Indeed, it seems as though there are very few teens out there who idolise the royals the same way they do Kendall Jenner or Justin Bieber. But what you might not realise is that there are plenty of people who respect the British royal family so much that they want to duplicate their iconic look to a tee. This is especially true for some of the more glamorous members of the house of Windsor, such as Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton.
One such 'copy-Kate' - who has gone to crazy lengths to try and imitate Kate Middleton's style is 17-year-old Ruby Davis. Ruby, who lives in the city of Newcastle, England, spends her free time and money trying to mimic Kate's fashion choices, usually by finding cheaper versions of her outfits on the high street.
Ruby was first captivated by Middleton when she watched footage of the royal wedding when she was 11-years-old, and was starstruck by Kate's poise and grace. She discovered that Kate Middleton fans (or 'Replikates') were a thriving community on social media, and thus she decided to join in the fun herself by studying Kate's clothes to try to create a comprehensive index of their various labels and designers. Because most of Kate's clothes are luxurious, and Ruby is only a student, she has to rely on sites like Bay, Depop and Etsy to find appropriate knock-offs.
Commenting on her Middletonmania, Ruby stated: "I do get some nasty comments, especially on social media. People think it’s sad for a teenager, to be so in to the royal family. But the way I see it, it’s no different to idolising any other celebrity. Most girls my age want to be Kim Kardashian – dressing like her and getting lip fillers. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not for me. I’d rather be Kate Middleton."
But as it turns out, the introduction of the elegant Meghan Markle into the fold has shifted Ruby's loyalties to Kate somewhat. "I saw a photo of her wearing a crisp white shirt at the Invictus Games, and went straight out to buy my own,” Ruby stated, "I love how Meghan injects her personality into her style. I can’t wait to see her wedding dress, when she marries Prince Harry on May 19. If I ever got married, I’d want one like Kate’s, but I know Meghan’s will be stunning too."
Personally, I think it's cool that a teenager has chosen a more unconventional role model to style herself on, and let's be honest, Kendall Jenner could probably do with a few less followers anyway ...
