Royals How Meghan Markle's Mom Is Stepping into Royal Life — While Kate's Mom Stays Behind the Scenes In many ways, the two royal mothers-in-law are very similar, from their love of fitness to their close bond with their daughters By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Editor, Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 20, 2018 02:44 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Steve Parsons - Pool / Getty Meghan Markle has already been the subject of many royal firsts, but she added another to her growing list on Thursday: bringing her mother, Doria Ragland, to her first royal hosting event. Doria joined Prince Harry in accompanying Meghan to Kensington Palace for a celebration marking the publication of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which the Duchess of Sussex helped create to benefit those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. Doria met members of the Hubb Community Kitchen and beamed as Meghan spoke about how the women welcomed her. Doria told guests she was “head over heels” about her daughter’s accomplishment. BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Although Meghan has only been married to Harry for a few months, she’s already changing things up by bringing her mother into her royal life. Kate Middleton‘s mom, Carole Middleton, has stayed mostly behind the scenes. While it’s common to see her at major events such as Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding in May and her grandson Prince Louis‘ christening in July, she has never joined her daughter and son-in-law, Prince William, on official business. Of course, that’s not to say that Carole hasn’t been embraced by the royal family. In 2016, Kate’s family got to experience a favorite spot: the Scottish estate Balmoral Castle. Queen Elizabeth was spotted behind the wheel of her Range Rover as she chauffeured Carole from a picnic during a late summer getaway to the highlands hideaway. The families enjoyed one of their favorite pastimes, a country shoot. Kent Media/REX/Shutterstock Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The royal family has also welcomed Doria. After Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle at her royal wedding, he escorted the bride’s mother down the steps of St. George’s Chapel following the ceremony. Jane Barlow/PA Wire In many ways, the two royal mothers-in-law are very similar. Both are fitness fanatics — Carole is a tennis fan, often seen cheering on athletes at Wimbledon, while Doria has worked as a yoga instructor in Los Angeles and ran the L.A. Marathon — and both share a close bond with their daughters. Of course, both also share that their families were thrust into the spotlight due to their daughters’ relationships. RELATED VIDEO: Meghan Markle Arrives at Hotel with Mom and Says She’s Feeling ‘Wonderful’ on Royal Wedding Eve One area where the two women differ? Their style! Carole and Kate sometimes borrow from each other’s closets, especially in the hat department! Carole is a big fan of designer Catherine Walker & Co., choosing her outfits for both daughter Pippa Middleton’s wedding last year as well as Meghan and Harry’s nuptials in May. George Pimentel/Wireimage Meanwhile, Doria often shows off her boho chic fashion sense. For Thursday’s event, she went with a head-to-toe beige ensemble, topping a pair of slacks and top with a shall slung over her shoulders. Like Carole and Kate, Doria’s style has influenced her daughter. “I think as you get older you feel more confident and you don’t need to put that much effort in — to be able to throw your hair up in that very French way doing things” Meghan told Glamour in 2017. “If your outfit is on point, one thing has to be off for you to look perfect.”