Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attended a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, in London, and chose a stunning grey dress for the occasion, which she paired with a matching hat and a pair of elegant nude pumps from Moda in Pelle. Sophie recycled her Sophie Coatdress in French Blue from Suzannah London and the Heliconia Hat in Light Blue from the spring-summer 2017 Collection.
The Palace shared some pictures of the Duchess of Edinburgh meeting ex-servicemen and other attendees at the garden party and explained: “Lovely afternoon at Buckingham Palace for @thenotforgotten.
“Garden Party, hosted by The Duchess of Edinburgh. An annual tradition since 1921, the event brings together over 2,000 ex-servicemen and women for a special afternoon in the garden.”
Sophie’s dress was from Suzannah London, one of her go-to designers, and her lovely hat was from the British handmade luxury headwear brand and royal favourite Jane Taylor London.
On Twitter, @jeannedubrasky2 commented: “The Duchess of Edinburgh is I think the most ‘classic lady’ of all of them. She has been since day one.”
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For jewellery, Sophie decided to keep it simple and sported a pair of drop earrings featuring a black gemstone and her iconic gold handbag necklace, one of her favourite designs.
Jewellery expert Claire Adler commented on the meaning behind the unique Hermes pendant, the Constance Amulette Pendant in Rose Gold.
She explained: “There is something undeniably feminine and empowering about a handbag.
“Handbag pendants aren’t as common as one might think although there are a fair number of lovely vintage examples online. Sophie’s one looks like it is gold with pave diamonds.
“Interestingly, handbags have a long history of being linked to jewellery through the minaudière – a bejewelled evening handbag and a jewel all rolled into one – like those by Van Cleef & Arpels, the Parisian jewellery house worn by Kate Middleton to the Baftas.”
Claire continued: “They are made with precious materials, like gold, enamel and precious gemstones, and appear really compact.
“But then with a click or two, secret compartments unfurl for lipstick, powder compact and even clocks.
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“Always useful for keeping the true extent of your vanity and organisational skills under wraps until the situation requires them.”
The pendant could also be a subtle nod to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was rarely seen without her miniature Launer handbag.
The Duchess kept the late Queen Elizabeth close to her heart today as she chose the same grey dress she wore to attend the Thanksgiving service for the late Queen’s 90th birthday back in 2016.
Royal fan @servingsophie opined that Sophie’s shoes today were “gorgeous” and another one, @Mari_Edinburghs, agreed and said: “Amazing shoes!”
A third Twitter user added: “Stunning in grey!” and royal watcher Just Royals opined: “She looks stunning!”
Royal fan @TribesBritannia commented: “Lovely to see the Duchess of Edinburgh take the lead at events at Buckingham Palace” and another one added: “Always so elegant.”
Guests at Buckingham Palace today were able to sample some traditional tea and cake and explore the beautiful Palace Gardens.
Twitter user Daniel Wilson commented: “What a wonderful event! It’s great to see the tradition of the Garden Party being kept alive.”