Duchess Sophie has stepped in for her brother-in-law, King Charles, during several recent royal occasions, and she filled in for the monarch once again during a solemn event on April 25. The Duchess of Edinburgh represented The King at two Anzac Day commemorations in London, shedding a tear as she honored Australians and New Zealanders who died in battle. And Sophie kept two members of her family close to her heart as she attended the ceremonies, wearing a hat once worn by her 21-year-old daughter and a dress with ties to the late Prince Philip.
The Duchess of Edinburgh, who turned 60 in January, wore an elegant navy blue velvet dress as she laid a wreath at Hyde Park Corner and the Cenotaph war memorial. If the Suzannah London piece looks familiar to royal watchers, it's because she wore the same dress to a memorial service in honor of her father-in-law, Prince Philip, in 2022. Philip, who was a war veteran himself, held the Duke of Edinburgh title until his death, when it was later given to Sophie's husband, Prince Edward, by his brother King Charles.
Sophie gave the outfit an updated look with different accessories, wearing red poppy-shaped earrings, a wreath-shaped brooch and a cluster of poppy flowers pinned to her chest in honor of fallen soldiers. But it was her hat that stood out, as the navy trilby style was first worn by Sophie's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, on Christmas Day 2023.
According to royal-loved milliner Jane Taylor, the hat is crafted from "midnight luxury felt with gunmetal crystal trim," and Sophie matched her silvery-gray Mary Jane heels to the braiding on her hat.
Both Duchess Sophie and Lady Louise are fans of a good fedora moment, and it's possible the hat actually belongs to Sophie, who almost exclusively wears Jane Taylor hats.
As for Anzac Day, the Duchess of Edinburgh laid a wreath during a dawn service at Hyde Park, going on to present a wreath of poppies later in the morning at the Cenotaph memorial. She then attended a church service at Westminster Abbey to honor those who died while serving their countries.
Although he didn't attend Friday's events, The King released a statement for Anzac Day, writing, "We must, every one of us, remain vigilant in upholding the values for which you fought so gallantly over eighty years ago. Like others of my generation, I owe my peaceful childhood to the steadfast efforts of those of your comrades, with yourselves, in overcoming tyranny. For this I feel the most profound gratitude."
