Since Queen Elizabeth's death, there’s been a subtle but noticeable shift in royal fashion. While women in the Royal Family still err on the conservative side, we’ve certainly seen some changes from the days of constant coat dresses and pantyhose. Duchess Sophie, for one, wore an outfit that she likely wouldn’t have chosen when her late mother-in-law was still alive as she attended a June 1 garden party in Portugal with husband Prince Edward.
Duchess Sophie chose a patterned red maxi dress by Spanish brand Matelier for the sunny event, held at the residence of the UK Ambassador in Lisbon. The long-sleeved Strawberry Date dress mixes shades of bright red and burgundy, and from the front, it looks simple enough. But in a video shared on X by the Daily Express’s deputy royal editor, Rebecca Russell, the plunging back of Sophie’s dress is revealed.
The nearly backless design features a cowl-style drape with a thin strap of fabric across the shoulders, and the video clip reveals Sophie’s back as she chats to women at the event.
The Duchess of Edinburgh paired her daring red dress with a pair of burgundy velvet platform sandals by her favorite shoe brand, Penelope Chilvers, and she added bold gold earrings and a ring by Italian designer Giulia Barela, per Instagrammer Royal Fashion Police.
Like Princess Kate, Sophie is a huge fan of Halcyon Days bracelets, and she wore two of the gold bangles from her collection along with a new gold T-bar necklace by Tilly Sveaas.
At the garden party, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh met with members of the British community and Portuguese partners who are driving positive social change through charities, social enterprises and other community-focused initiatives.
On Tuesday, June 2, the couple continued their visit to Portugal as Duchess Sophie made a powerful speech related to her role in the UN's Women, Peace and Security agenda. For the event, she kept it business casual in a white Altuzarra blazer and a green-and-white Max Mara shirt dress, adding a pair of white espadrille wedges by Penelope Chilvers that she's worn more than 40 times since 2019.
