Catherine, Princess of Wales may not be undertaking public-facing royal duties as she recovers from cancer – but several senior royals have stepped up in her absence.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, the wife of the late Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward, has been a constant presence at royal events since the beginning of 2024.
Royal fans have noticed Sophie, 59, as she quietly rises through the ranks to flank the King and Queen at major engagements, including a recent garden party in Scotland.
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Sophie looked elegant in a powder-blue gown designed by one of Kate’s favourite designers, Roland Mouret, at the garden party event.
Eagle-eyed royal watchers will have spotted the fact Sophie was wearing a colour very close in resemblance to Camilla, Queen Consort, at the event.
The duchess and her sister-in-law the Queen coordinated – inadvertently or not – with similarly coloured dresses and near-identical hats.
A look at the timeless style of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
Though it seems subtle, this small break in royal protocol could symbolise something quite important for Sophie’s branch of the royal family tree.
Karen Haller, a behavioural colour psychologist and author, told MyLondon in 2022 the royals tend to wear similar hues in a bid to strengthen their visual cohesion.
“They are coming together as a family, representing themselves as a cohesive unit,” Haller explained.
“When it comes to colour psychology, darker blues communicate you are in a position of authority, trustworthy, reliable and can be depended on. You have a sense of duty and take that seriously with committed focus.”
This is an interesting observation when you consider Meghan Markle’s experience with her wardrobe in the royal family.
During her time as a working member of the monarchy, Meghan says she was banned from wearing the same colour as senior royals.
“Most of the time that I was in the UK I rarely wore colour,” Meghan revealed during an episode of Harry & Meghan.
“There was thought in that,” she added. “To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty, if there’s a group event.
“But then you also should never be wearing the same colour as one of the other more senior members of the family.”
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This unspoken fashion rule appears to not apply to the Duchess of Edinburgh.
And blue is a favoured colour of Queen Camilla, who has been pictured wearing this hue time and time again since she was elevated to her new role post-Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
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“I’ve definitely noticed a specific shade of blue – what is known as royal blue,” royal fashion expert Eloise Moran told Marie Claire.
“It’s actually a very traditional colour in the UK, and, when I think of the monarchy, one of the key colours, of course, is royal blue. Blue definitely keeps popping up – there definitely seems to be a correlation.”
The Princess of Wales, along with husband Prince William and their children, are also fans of wearing all shades of blue.
“Ask anyone what colour they associate with the Wales family clan, and most likely they’ll say blue,” Rosie Harte, author of The Royal Wardrobe, told Birmingham Live.
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As the colour blue has such an important meaning to the royal family, Sophie’s adoption of the colour – coupled with the fact she wore a design beloved by Kate – could mean her royal role is strengthening.
“The royal family is always very aware of the message their clothing sends. A huge part of their very public role is to be seen– as Queen Elizabeth II famously said,” Elizabeth Holmes, author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, told Vogue.
“Before anyone knows what work they are doing, what cause they are supporting, or what event they are attending, we see what they are wearing. They know that and they use that quite savvily.”
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