Duchess Sophie turned 60 on Jan. 20, and the Royal Family released a new portrait in honor of the momentous occasion.
London-based fashion photographer Christina Ebenezer created Duchess Sophie's beautiful new portrait. Sharing the photographs on Instagram, the Royal Family's official account revealed, "The Duchess of Edinburgh was interested in Ebenezer's creative style of photography and wanted to support a rising female photographer."
The statement continued, "As The Duchess looks ahead to turning 60, Her Royal Highness has a renewed sense of excitement and commitment to her work around gender equality and looks forward to further embracing and championing this issue in the years to come."
The photographs were taken at Bagshot Park, the home Sophie shares with husband Prince Edward. In the first photo in the carousel, Duchess Sophie is wearing a black sweater with a cream pleated skirt. She completes the look with pearl earrings, a delicate bracelet, and Jimmy Choo pumps.
Sophie's cream pleated skirt is reminiscent of an item worn by Princess Kate when she attended Wimbledon in 2023. Although the Princess of Wales styled her outfit very differently, she wore a white pleated skirt almost identical to the one Sophie chose for her 60th birthday portrait.
In two subsequent photos shared by the Royal Family, Duchess Sophie can be seen posing outside while wearing a white Proenza Schouler coat, a brown turtleneck sweater, and green pants by Emilia Wickstead.
It's extremely possible that the Duchess of Edinburgh found fashion inspiration in the Duchess of Sussex's style choices. Duchess Meghan, of course, has proven herself to be a fan of Proenza Schouler, having worn their clothing on the red carpet and for a photoshoot with The Cut.
In an interview with The Telegraph to mark her 60th birthday, Duchess Sophie said of her career, "It's been mostly utterly joyous. I never know what to expect, I never know who I'm going to meet, and I never know what I'm going to learn. And the old adage, 'Every day's a school day,' is absolutely true."
Sophie also emotionally revealed her admiration for Queen Elizabeth II, which started long before she became a member of the Royal Family. The Duchess of Edinburgh, who didn't grow up connected to the royals or the aristocracy, told the outlet, "When I was a child and I came up to London, I always loved driving past to see if the Queen was in."
