Thrifty Kate Middleton has worn the same Alexander McQueen coat four times

KATE Middleton has proved that some items of clothing never go out of style after she wore her favourite Alexander McQueen coat for the FOURTH time this week.

The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in the stunning belted style as she joined husband Prince William along with Sir David Attenborough for a naming ceremony of a polar research ship.

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The 37-year-old was first spotted in the timeless piece – which costs £2,345 – while touring New Zealand with William and Prince George, who was just a baby at the time.

The royal paired it with blue heels and a matching navy clutch, wearing her hair in a slick pony tail as she met with director Sir Peter Jackson.

Just months later, Kate wore the style yet again, at the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June, this time teaming it with a navy fascinator.

Fast forward to 2016 and Kate appeared to pair the coat with the exact same accessories as she did for its New Zealand debut, as she joined the Air Cadets to mark their 75th anniversary in London.

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Now, three years later, the Duchess has dug the coat out once again for an engagement in Birkenhead earlier this week.

The mum-of-three appeared delighted as she joined the Duke and Sir David Attenborough for the naming ceremony of a polar ship.

But the public’s chosen name, Boaty McBoatface, was not used for the vessel – with it instead named RSS Sir David Attenborough after the vote was vetoed.

Instead, a submarine on board will be given the name.

The vessel is owned by the Environment Research Council (NERC) and operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and will explore the Arctic and Antarctica for the next 25 to 30 years.

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It’s no surprise Kate has chosen to wear the coat so many times, with Alexander McQueen being a firm favourite for the Duchess – with the royal even choosing the designer for her wedding dress in 2011.

And Kate isn’t the only royal who has been recycling outfits this week.

In fact, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle chose to wear two previous outfits, during her and Prince Harry’s royal tour of Africa.

Earlier this week, for Meghan’s second royal engagement at the District Six Museum, she wore a beautiful £465 sky blue shirt-dress by Veronica Beard.

She had previously worn the blue dress during a visit to Tonga when she was three months pregnant last October.

And while attending a reception at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, Meghan stepped out in a striped Martin Grant maxi dress she previously wore on Bondi Beach, during her and Harry’s royal tour of Australia last year.

And royal fans can’t stop praising Meghan for repeating outfits she wore during pregnancy and “owning her post-baby body”.

In other royal news, we told you how Shawn Mendes stood in silence with the Queen for 10 MINUTES – after being told he wasn’t allowed to speak to her.

We also revealed Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell says he picked out her iconic ‘revenge dress’.

And we told you Princess Beatrice doesn’t need The Queen’s permission to get married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – unlike Prince Harry and Prince William.