Britain celebrated Trooping the Color on June 13, and the royal family dressed to impress (even though some still ended up at the worst dressed list for this year’s event). Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was no exception, and she looked amazing, except for one thing.
The The Duchess of Edinburgh has had a few fashion flops before, but here she wore a very beautiful, yet summery dress by Roland Mouret. From the waist down, the belted piece almost looked like a high-end tennis polo, with its simple collar and sporty short sleeves. However, she made sure it looked regal by accessorizing the outfit with a dainty, almost avian Jane Taylor hat and elegant pearl earrings, then elevated the entire ensemble with her beautiful Diamond Rose Brooch. Unfortunately, she almost ruined the whole thing by wearing a watch that stood out like a sore thumb.
Neil Mockford/Getty
In the photo above, Sophie and Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurencesmiling and waving from the seat of their cozy carriage as they rode along the parade route. Between the short sleeves and all the requisite hand waving, Sophie’s chunky metal watch was impossible to ignore as it slid around her wrist like a malfunctioning Transformer. Distracting and sartorially incongruous, it was a poor choice for an otherwise great ensemble, though there’s probably a reason it showed up at the event.
Sophie’s watch is a brand of the royal family
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, appeared to be wearing the Patek Philippe Twenty~4. While it may have nearly ruined her outfit during the parade, the watch was more expensive than almost every other part of her ensemble, which may partially explain her affinity for it. At the time of writing, the piece retails for almost $33,000, while Sophie’s Roland Mouret dress costs less than $1,000.
Patek Philippe is one of the most respected and oldest watch manufacturers, and Sophie is not alone in the royal family with her love for the brand. Queen Elizabeth was a big fan and often alternated between her two different Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watches, her Patek Philippe Calatrava and her diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe 4975/1G. King Charles also wore a Calatrava, as did Princess Diana.
With that family history in mind, Sophie’s clumsy accessories are a little more forgivable. Nevertheless, it was a tough choice that hopefully taught the Duchess a lesson: if you plan on rocking short sleeves a lot, you might want to leave the watch at home.
Leave a Reply