A right royal rip off? Princess Madeleine's recently released engagement photo looks suspiciously similar to William and Kate's

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and it looks like even the bluest of blood doesn't make you immune from the urge to copy other people.
Sweden's recently engaged Princess Madeleine has released an official photo that looks surprisingly similar to that of Britain's very own Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Cambridges' intimate engagement photo was taken ahead of their 2011 wedding by fashion photographer and favourite of Princess Diana, Mario Testino, while Princess Madeleine's was shot by the French photographer, Patrick Demarchelier.

Haven't we seen this pose somewhere before? Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neil's official engagement picture has echoes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Like the Cambridges, the Swedish royal couple lean into each other, with Madeleine's hand and engagement ring prominently displayed on the shoulder of her British-born fiance.
The duo also wear similar happy smiles to their British counterparts and both brides wear simple, white blouses.

 

Even the hair is similar with both the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Madeleine choosing to wear their glossy dark hair in long, loose waves.
Madeleine, 30, announced her engagement to British banker, Chris O'Neil, 37, last Thursday via the palace website.
In a video recorded at the Drottningholm Palace just outside Stockholm, Madeleine revealed that O'Neil proposed at the beginning of October and said she was extremely happy.

Engaged: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, 30, and British-born banker, Chris O'Neil, 37

Low key: Both couples enjoy quiet lifestyles: the Cambridges in Anglesey and Madeleine in New York

Blushing bride: Should we expect to see long lace sleeves on Princess Madeleine's wedding dress?

Mr O'Neil added: 'Madeleine and I have known each other for two years and I recently summoned up the courage to ask her to marry me. Thankfully she said yes,'
He also tried a few words in Swedish, saying he was trying to learn the language but admitted that he found it 'difficult.'
Although no date has yet been set for the nuptials, it is expected that the pair will marry in Stockholm like Princess Madeleine's older sister, Crown Princess Victoria, 35.
Victoria married her husband Daniel Westling, formerly her personal trainer, in a lavish ceremony in front of 1,000 guests in 2010 and the couple now have a baby daughter, Princess Estelle.
Victoria, her husband and their daughter will certainly be part of Princess Madeleine's wedding celebrations, as will their brother, Prince Carl Phillipe, 33.
Whether or not Madeleine chooses to have such a large wedding remains to be seen, although the dress is a matter of some speculation.
Should we expect to see lace sleeves and a long train like the Duchess of Cambridge? If Madeleine's engagement photos are anything to go on, it certainly looks likely.

Sister act: Or will Madeleine plump for something simpler like her sister, Crown Princess Victoria?

Chris O'Neil's future family: (L-R) Prince Carl Philip, fiancee Princess Madeleine, Queen Silvia, King Carl Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden