HGTV Star Erin Napier's Mom Looks Just Like Princess Diana

Although she's not as well-known as her daughter, Erin Napier's mom, Karen Rasberry, has an impressive resume. Rasberry lives near the Napier family in Laurel, Mississippi, where she's had a longtime career as a realtor and has billed herself as someone with connections for people who'd like to participate in "Home Town." Erin's mom is also a writer, with credits that include magazines, newspapers, and a few books. Two of these, "Travelers in Search of Vacancy" and "A Southernmost Journey," are anthologies of Rasberry's contributions to Laurel's newspaper, "The ReView."

Rasberry's not only related to a celebrity -– she also looks like one. In February 2024, Erin posted two photos on X, formerly Twitter, to illustrate the striking similarity between her mom and the late Princess Diana. "When I was a little girl, everywhere we went, people gasped and told my mother, 'My gosh, you look like Princess Diana,' and I was so proud I could bust," Erin captioned the photos. 

When I was a little girl, everywhere we went people gasped and told my mother "my gosh you look like Princess Diana" and I was so proud I could bust. Here they are side by side: #hgtvhometown pic.twitter.com/anV6NHhu6c

— Erin Napier (@ErinRNapier) February 19, 2024

To add to the uncanny resemblance, both Rasberry and Diana have their blond hair styled with bangs and cut to just below their ears. In addition, their noses have a similar shape, and they both have their hair parted on the left side. Rasberry even went a step further and wore a red, sleeveless sheath dress to match the bold color of Diana's memorable outfit. Erin grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, a time of massive media interest in Diana. She was enthralled with magazine covers that featured the princess.

Fans were equally enthusiastic about the resemblance between Karen Rasberry, Erin Napier's mom, and Princess Diana. "I love this comparison — their inner beauty shines through here for each of them as well," one commented on X. Going beyond the visual similarities, both women shared some comparable life philosophies. For instance, when Erin was a kid, she was reserved and focused, a self-proclaimed "extreme introvert," as she told Guideposts. "I would put together natural history dioramas in old shoeboxes. Or I'd stay home and make a tiger costume," Erin informed Southern Living (via People). 

In contrast, Rasberry was more gregarious as a kid. However, "She never tried to push me into that mold. She told me to be exactly who I wanted to be," Erin explained. Rasberry and Erin bonded over their love of artistic pursuits. Watching her mom paint and engage in art had a lasting influence on Erin. She adopted some of her mom's approaches to home design, like decorating with heirloom portraits. Erin has also committed to following her mom's approach with her own children by encouraging them to be imaginative.

Diana, too, was about breaking the mold, particularly with regard to parenting. The late princess earned the moniker "rebel royal mum" (via ABC News) because she didn't let protocol influence how she interacted with William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry. She tried to keep their childhood as normal as possible and even encouraged their wild antics.

Although Erin Napier never had the opportunity to meet her childhood hero, Princess Diana, in person, she did meet Patrick Jepson, an author and journalist who also worked as Diana's private secretary or chief of staff. As fate would have it, in March 2023, Jepson and his wife, Mary Jo Jacobi, were visiting Erin and Ben Napier's store in Laurel, Mississippi. When Jepson met Erin, she poignantly informed him about the profound impact Diana's death had on her. Erin was 12 when Diana died, and she was devastated by the news. "It was the first death of someone I felt I somehow knew, though we'd, of course, never met," Erin recalled on Instagram. "I told him this story with tears in my eyes, and then I laughed at how ridiculous I felt," Erin explained in her post. Jepson responded with empathy, telling Erin, "Diana always wanted a daughter!" 

The two couples discovered they had a lot of common ground. Jacobi's from Mississippi, and she and Jepson traveled to Laurel because they love watching "Home Town." Jepson has TV experience of his own, and he's worked as a consultant on "The Crown." He added an appearance on "Home Town" to his list of credits when he started chatting with Ben about Victorian furniture, and they ended up recording the conversation for an episode. Heartwarmingly, the Napiers, Jacobi, and Jepson developed a friendship and have talked many times since their initial meeting.