- Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are both 36 years old. Queen Elizabeth II was 36 in 1963.
- Queen Elizabeth’s life then looked a lot different than Middleton’s and Markle’s lives look today.
- For example, Markle and fiancé Prince Harry don’t yet have kids – Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were already married for 15 years and expecting their fourth child.
Being a member of the British royal family today is a drastically different job than it was half a century ago.
Across the globe, people look at Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, both 36 years old, as the picture of elegance. People saw Queen Elizabeth II the same way in 1963, when she was 36 – but her lifestyle was rather more traditional. She’d been married for years, sported white gloves and pearls … and definitely didn’t use Instagram.
Below, we highlighted the starkest contrasts between Middleton’s and Markle’s lives today and Queen Elizabeth’s when she was their age.
At age 36, Queen Elizabeth had already been queen for 11 years. She was born into royalty: Her father was King George VI and her mother was Queen Elizabeth.
Source: INSIDER, Associated Press
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, on the other hand, didn't come from royal blood. Middleton is still called the "Duchess of Cambridge," and Markle will likely be known as the "Duchess of Sussex" when she marries Prince Harry.
Source: Business Insider
At 36, Queen Elizabeth had been married to Prince Philip for 15 years.
Source: INSIDER
Markle, who has previously been married, will marry Prince Harry in May 2018, at age 36. Middleton, who was 29 at her wedding, was previously considered the oldest bride to marry into British royalty.
Source: INSIDER, The Telegraph
Queen Elizabeth was about to have her fourth child, Prince Edward, at age 36.
Source: INSIDER
Middleton is currently pregnant with her third child. Markle does not have any children.
Source: Business Insider
Queen Elizabeth has long had a signature style, which Vogue reported includes bright, block colors, pearl necklaces, white gloves, headscarves, and plaid skirts.
Source: Vogue
Middleton and Markle have been spotted wearing some more affordable clothing brands, including Everlane, Zara, and Topshop (seen on Kate Middleton below).
Markle has also broken royal fashion tradition by carrying a cross-body bag instead of a clutch. Middleton supposedly carries a clutch to avoid shaking hands with people without offending them.
Source: INSIDER
When Queen Elizabeth was 36, Facebook was still four decades away.
Today, the entire royal family has more than 3 million followers on the Facebook-owned "Kensington Palace" Instagram account.
Source: Instagram
We can only imagine what being British royalty will look like in another half-century ...
