The cat who got the cream! Beaming Duchess of Edinburgh stuns in a matching hat and coat dress as she joins Prince Edward and other royals at Commonwealth Day service
- The Duchess of Edinburgh attended the Commonwealth Day service in London
- READ: Princess of Wales joins Prince William at the Commonwealth Day Service
The Duchess of Edinburgh looked ethereal in a cream coat and matching hat as she stepped out at the Commonwealth Day service in London today.
Joining other royals such as the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales at the annual event, this is the first time the wife of Prince Edward has attended the ceremony while using her new title.
Sophie, previously the Countess of Wessex, was elevated to Duchess of Edinburgh last week, after it was announced that her husband Prince Edward had been given his late father’s Duke of Edinburgh title.
Arriving alongside her husband, the beaming mother-of-two wore a smart cream coat dress with s matching pillar box hat, with a black ribbon at the back, to the service at Westminster Abbey.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, stunned in a cream coat and matching pillar box hat as she attended the Commonwealth Day service
The former Countess of Wessex was joined by her husband Prince Edward for the annual service at Westminster Abbey
Sophie, 58, was joined by her husband, the now Duke of Edinburgh, 59, and other senior members of the royal family.
She wore an agate brooch against her textured coat, and opted for a pair of matching shoes and handbag.
The stylish royal pinned her blonde tresses up and kept her make up bronzed yet neutral for the service.
Prince Edward, meanwhile, wore a simple pin-striped navy suit with a brown patterned tie for the annual event.
This is the first Commonwealth Day service that the couple have attended under their new titles of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
The mother-of-two wore a stunning cream textured coat dress with a matching hat and handbag to the service
The couple beamed as they entered Westminster Abbey for the annual service under their new titles
Today’s service is particularly poignant to the royals, as it marks the first time that the event has taken place since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also in attendance alongside King Charles and the Queen Consort, Princess Anne and hundreds of dignitaries and schoolchildren for the annual event, which is an important date in the royal calendar.
Today is also the first time the family have come together to celebrate the Commonwealth since Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Netflix series branded the Commonwealth as ‘Empire 2.0’.
The Commonwealth was founded in December 1931 and currently contains 54 countries. According to the Royal Family’s website, the purpose of the organisation is to ‘foster international co-operation and trade links between people all over the world’.
Sophie pinned her blonde hair back showing off a pair of simple pearl earrings and kept her make up neutral
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh stood with Princess Anne and her husband Vince Admiral Timothy Laurence during the service
Sophie was seen shaking the hands of attendees at Westminster Abbey and engaging in conversation
The wife of Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, wore an agate brooch on her textured cream coat
It was last week that the King conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his youngest brother to mark his 59th birthday on March 10.
This raise in royal status for Sophie is a touching tribute to the late Queen’s daughter-in-law who lovingly called her ‘mama’.
Married to Prince Edward for 24 years, she is well known for her down-to-earth nature and was viewed by the late Queen as The Firm’s safest pair of hands.
Sophie’s previous rank as Countess of Wessex, meant she was of an equal rank with her husband Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wore a nude pair of heeled pumps for the annual Commonwealth Day service
It was last week that the King conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his youngest brother to mark his 59th birthday
This raise in royal status for Sophie, 58, is a touching tribute to the late Queen’s daughter-in-law who lovingly called her ‘mama’
However their new titles of Duke and Duchess are of a higher rank, elevating them in status to just below the monarch. Duchesses are also referred to as Her Royal Highness.
Meanwhile the title of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh is one of the most senior in the Royal Family.
The move is a touching and lasting connection between the late Queen and her much-loved daughter-in-law, Sophie.
She was noted as the late monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member and closest confidante.
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