When Prince William and Kate Middleton emerged from St. Mary's Hospital today t o present their newborn son to the world, the Duchess of Cambridge seemed to be paying a small tribute to the late Princess Diana in her wardrobe choice.

Holding the tiny Prince of Cambridge, whose name has yet to be announced, in her arms, Kate walked out of the Lindo Wing of the London hospital wearing a simple pale, baby blue dress covered in white polka dots.

According to Glamour UK, the dress was by designer Jenny Packham.

Photos of Radiant Kate Showing off Royal Baby Boy

Thoughts of some observers immediately jumped back to that day 31 years ago in June 1982, when it was Prince Charles and Diana who came out of the same hospital wing, holding baby William.

On that day, Diana wore a teal, flowy dress, also covered in white polka dots.

Credit: AP Photo| Getty Images

In line with royal tradition, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped out of the hospital doors to the wild cheers of the crowd gathered outside and posed for photographs.

Like his father did before him, William took his son from Kate and held him while addressing the crowd.

However, unlike Charles and Diana, who only lingered briefly before getting straight into a car and leaving the hospital, William and Kate took a few minutes to approach the crowd and answer a few questions. Both were all smiles.

Kate said the experience has been "very emotional," adding that any parent would "know what this feeling feels like."

With Charles and Diana, the couple took no questions, made no remarks or jokes, only smiled and then off they went. The whole thing lasted just over a minute.

But William cracked a few jokes to the press, who had been camped outside of the hospital for days, saying that his young son "has got a good pair of lungs on him" and that the baby had "way more [hair] than me, thank God."

In 1982, Diana had opted to hold baby William while she and Charles sat in the back seat of a car with a driver, rather than putting the newborn in a car seat.

But minutes after William and Kate addressed the crowd, the new parents came back out with the royal baby in a car seat. William got in the driver's seat of a black car and Kate got in the back with the baby as they drove off.

Time will tell how closely William and Kate will follow Diana and Charles' lead when it comes to raising the newest British royal heir.