The Duchess of Edinburgh couldn’t have looked more elegant as she graced the balcony of the Foreign Office overlooking the Cenotaph during the Remembrance Sunday service.
Standing beside the Princess of Wales, the wife of Prince Edward remained stoic as she cut a sophisticated figure in a cowl-neck, long-sleeved black dress paired with a bow-adorned boater hat.
Duchess Sophie’s demure black ensemble was perfectly complemented by a string of pearls, which are typically worn during times of mourning to represent tears shed for lost loved ones.
She elevated her monochrome outfit with a pair of delicate silver half-moon earrings adorned with a singular pearl.
The mother-of-two, who shares Lady Louise Windsor and James, the Earl of Wessex with her husband Prince Edward, swept her golden blonde hair into a sleek low bun coiled at the nape of her neck.
Keeping her beauty look bold yet refined, the Duchess wore a heavy black liner and a berry-hued lipstick.
© Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty ImagesIt is customary for British royals to wear black during times of mourning, of which Remembrance Day falls under the same rules.
Famously, Queen Victoria spent 40 years wearing black in tribute to her late husband Prince Albert as an outward sign of her grief.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageHer sartorial choice has since become a sign of respect to honour those who have passed away, and is adopted by all members of the royal family when someone dies.
© Riccardo Antimiani/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockIt’s not the first time Sophie has worn the silhouette-skimming black dress. In September 2023, she wore the elegant gown to attend the State Funeral of the former Italian President and senator Giorgio Napolitano in Rome, as a representative from the British Royal Family.
She also sported a diamond rose shaped brooch and matching black accessories as she arrived at the Palazzo Montecitorio.
