The miraculous makeovers that turned dowdy commoners into dazzling princesses

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Kate Middleton transformed from country girl to dazzling Duchess
Crown Princess Mary had miraculous makeover from Australian party girl
FEMAIL charts the incredible royal transformations the women have had

Published: 02:55 EST, 24 October 2015 | Updated: 15:02 EST, 24 October 2015

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When they married into royal families, the lives of the Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Letizia, Crown Princess Mary, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Princess Charlene changed forever.

But it isn't just their day-to-day routines and titles that have had an upgrade; their image has had a complete overhaul, too.

From Kate Middleton's transformation from country bumpkin to dazzling Duchess, and Crown Princess Mary's miraculous makeover from Australian party girl to Danish Crown Princess, FEMAIL charts the royal makeovers that prove there's hope for all of us.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

It was the moment the nation had been waiting for: On April 29 2011, in front of a sea of cheering well-wishers, Catherine Middleton emerged from her car outside Westminster Abbey and took her first steps towards her new husband - and a new life.

The shy art student that Prince William met at university saw her world transform and her life is now one of endless engagements, royal tours and a constant battle for normality.

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The Duchess of Cambridge, left, in 2006, and, right, on Friday, has ditched her juvenile dress sense and has grown to be an assured, confident and always impeccably dressed royal style icon since marrying Prince William in 2011

It's plain that the 33-year-old Duchess is no longer the ordinary, middle-class girl who walked up the aisle that day.

Today Kate appears a seasoned public figure, rather than the girlish student that William first introduced the world to.

Assured, confident and always impeccably dressed, Kate is outshining royals all over the world.

As well as a boost in confidence, Kate has completely revamped her wardrobe since entering the public eye, slinging out Sloaney separates and country garb in favour of chic designer dresses and the hottest high street picks.

So popular did the Duchess' high fashion teamed with high street style prove, everything she wore began to immediately sell out - a phenomenon dubbed 'the Kate Effect', which sees everything she wears turn to gold.

See more of the latest Duchess of Cambridge style news, pictures and video updates

Kate has completely revamped her wardrobe since entering the public eye, slinging out Sloaney separates, left in 2005, in favour of chic designer dresses, pictured right this year, and the hottest high street picks

The shy art student that Prince William met at University saw her world transform and her life is now one of endless engagements, royal tours and a constant battle for normality

Kate always gets the sense of occasion just right, dressing in an appropriate colour, designer, or adding a subtle custom detail that gives a nod to the place she is visiting. It shows a real affinity with her role and her wardrobe - and is a far cry from the wellington boots, unflattering knitwear and tweed she once favoured.

And it's not just her wardrobe that's had an overhaul; look closely and you'll notice a total beauty transformation, too.

Her glossy, long brunette locks - often worn in a half-up and half-down style - now appear richer in colour and more coiffed and she often experiments with new cuts, such as bangs.

Her porcelain skin looks more bronzed and her face appears slimmer, her youthful apple cheeks less apparent, and her make-up much more carefully applied than back when she found fame.

Kate always gets the sense of occasion just right, dressing in an appropriate colour, designer, or adding a subtle custom detail that gives a nod to the place she is visiting, right, in Dolce & Gabbana and, left, in the more countrified clothing she favoured back in 2006

QUEEN LETIZIA

She's the former TV journalist turned Queen of Spain who has carved out a name for herself as a royal style icon.

The 43-year-old once favoured dowdy suits and frumpy jackets in her years as a news reader, but since joining the Spanish monarchy, Queen Letizia's wardrobe has had quite the makeover.

Her new wardrobe is packed with tailored sheath dresses, sky-scraping court shoes, Hugo Boss suits and eye-catching jewels.

With a penchant for homegrown labels, such as Mango, Zara and Uterqüe, she keeps her Spanish fashion fans happy.

Off duty, the mother-of-two has a penchant for relaxed tailored, billowing blouses and even the odd pair of jeans - but she still manages to look chic.

Spanish royal Queen Letizia, pictured left following the birth of her second daughter, the Infanta Sofia, in 2007, once favoured dowdy suits and frumpy jackets, but since joining the Spanish monarchy, has curated an impressive wardrobe

She's the former TV journalist, pictured in 2003 left, turned Queen of Spain who has carved out a name for herself as a royal style icon, right

It has been noted that since marrying Felipe, she has championed a much more daring sense of style - sometimes too daring, however.

The 43-year-old mother-of-two's wardrobe is much more daring than the play-it-safe style of the former Kate Middleton.

Some royal critics have, however, been quick to note that her style has raised a few eyebrows during her year on the throne.

Indeed, as Royalista notes: 'Queen Letizia is quite conservative in her choice of clothing, but once in a while she raises a few eyebrows by wearing short dresses - way too short if you ask some royal followers.'

The website points to the royal's ensemble for a visit to the Senado Palace on Tuesday.

The mother-of-two, who was on hand to dish out journalism awards at the headquarters of the Spanish upper house of Parliament in Madrid, highlighted her trim legs with sheer tights and a rather short white dress.

It has also been noted that Letizia, pictured left in 2005, has lost a substantial amount of weight since joining the monarchy, pictured right this year - something that is apparent when comparing old and new pictures

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According to the royal site, the daring hemline sparked some debate with some royal followers hailing it 'way too short'.

It has also been noted that the royal has lost a substantial amount of weight since joining the monarchy - something that is apparent when comparing old and new pictures.

As for her hair, she has opted to highlight her honey hued locks, which has helped create a more youthful aesthetic.

CROWN PRINCESS MARY

Before Crown Princess Mary of Denmark met Prince Frederik 15 years ago, she was very different to the graceful and immaculate role model she is today.

The fun-loving Mary Donaldson was active on the Australian social scene and lived a very normal life, studying commerce and law at the University of Tasmania before moving on to work in advertising in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mary graduated in advertising and worked as an account executive for various firms before being appointed as account director for international agency Young and Rubicam in 1999.

Before Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, pictured in 2007, met Prince Frederik 15 years ago, she was very different to the graceful and immaculate style icon she is today, right

Mary Donaldson also had a brief stint in acting, appearing as an extra in a TV commercial for V/Line, a regional transport company in Victoria.

Fast-forward a few years and the picture is a very different one. Princess Mary and Frederik met at the Slip Inn during the 2000 Summer Olympics and married in 2004.

The pair now share four children together, with the Princess now a fluent speaker of the Danish language.

She is the involved in many awareness campaigns, including anti-bullying programs and projects for the Danish Cancer Society.

As old photos like this one in 2007, left, attest, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark once favoured dowdy casual looks, teaming laidback jeans with somewhat unflattering blouses, before having a major style transformation, right

Mary, pictured left in 2003, has become a European style icon lauded for always looking appropriate while retaining a fashionable edge with dazzling designer gowns

If Prince Frederik ascends the throne, Princess Mary will become the first Australian woman to be a queen consort.

As well as overhauling her lifestyle and leaving her partying days behind, the royal has adopted a seriously stylish wardrobe, too.

As old photos attest, she once favoured dowdy casual looks, teaming laidback jeans with somewhat unflattering blouses.

Now, however, she has become a European style icon lauded for always looking appropriate while retaining a fashionable edge.

PRINCESS CHARLENE

She is widely regarded as one of the globe's most effortlessly chic royals, but that wasn't always the case for Princess Charlene of Monaco.

The Zimbabwe-born monarch, 37, formerly known as Charlene Lynette Wittstock, was set on a career in swimming and was known for her broad-shouldered figure, make-up free look and steely determination to success athletically.

But after meeting Prince Albert in 2000 at the Mare Nostrum swimming meet, everything changed forever.

Princess Charlene of Monaco was set on a career in swimming, left in 2000, and was known for her broad-shouldered figure, make-up free look and steely determination to success athletically - a far cry from her fashion week front row-ready style of today, right

Princess Charlene admits that she lived in swimwear and sportswear and had never worn an evening gown, pictured left in 2001. Now, she is every inch the royal style icon with a wardrobe of trendy and sleek separates, beautifully cut capes and designer shoes, right

According to Royalista, Charlene told Vanity Fair Italy in March 2014: 'I lived in swimwear and sportswear. I had never worn an evening gown, never read Vogue.

'I only read sports papers, my icons were the girls of Sports Illustrated.'

Now, Princess Charlene is every inch the royal style icon with a wardrobe of trendy and sleek separates, beautifully cut capes and designer shoes and totes.

In fact, so widely regarded for her sense of style is the Princess that she is often invited to sit front row at fashion week and is constantly compared to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Grace, thanks to her effortless poise.

SOPHIE, COUNTESS OF WESSEX

The Countess of Wessex, 50, recently revealed that she has 'caved in' to the style demands of being a royal in the public eye and expressed her shock at being named on this year's Vanity Fair Best Dressed list alongside Samantha Cameron and Amal Clooney.

The Countess of Wessex, 50, said that during the early years of her marriage, she tried to resist wearing expensive designer clothes for fear that her outfits would overshadow her charity work but she has since had a wardrobe overhaul, which has landed her on global best dressed lists

Sophie's new look is a far cry from the more modest outfits that she wore while dating Edward back in the Nineties. In her job as a high-flying PR, trouser-suits and frumpy professional dresses were her fashion staple

As the royal couple announced their engagement in 1999, Sophie wore a formal grey skirt suit more suited to the City

The wife of the Prince Edward told the Sunday Express that during the early years of her marriage, she tried to resist wearing expensive designer clothes for fear that her outfits would overshadow her charity work.

She said: 'It's still not about me, it's about my charities. But I recognise that I'm on display.'

The Countess revealed that a casual chat with someone had made her realise that fashion was something to be taken seriously.

She added: 'I wrestled with that one for a little while and caved in at the end of the day.'

Caving in has seen the mother of Lady Louise, 11, and James, Viscount Severn, seven, win plaudits for her outfits...despite not having a stylist.

Vanity Fair featured the Countess on its 2015 Best Dressed list, something which she describes as a shock: 'I kept on reading the names, thinking, are they sure they're not thinking of someone else?'

Despite protestations, she's regularly seen wearing dresses from some of the world's biggest designers.

At a June reception, for instance, Sophie teamed her £225 Diane von Furstenburg dress with a tailored Helmut Lang jacket.

Her hair, once worn short, is now longer and often tied back in a sleek ponytail with flattering blonde highlights.

Although there isn't a professional constantly on hand to advise Sophie what to wear, she says that she's confident about knowing what she does and doesn't like. She cites one of her favourite designers as milliner Jane Taylor.

Tayor returned the admiration, telling FEMAIL: 'The Countess of Wessex has to be my favourite client. She's elegant and timeless but she also tries something more daring and takes a risk.'

It's all a far cry from the more modest outfits that Sophie wore while dating Edward back in the Nineties. In her job as a high-flying PR, trouser-suits and frumpy professional dresses were her fashion staple.

As the royal couple announced their engagement in 1999, Sophie wore a formal grey skirt suit that might have been more suited to the City.

Contrast with the midnight blue, figure-hugging wrap dress that Kate Middleton wore when she and William revealed to the world they were to be wed in 2012.