Inappropriate Sophie, Duchess Of Edinburgh Outfits That Weren't Fit For The Palace
When it comes to royal style, few do it better than Britain's Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, whose style walks a fine line between classic and intriguing. "There's nothing matronly here," personal stylist Annabel Hodin observed to The Telegraph in 2024. "She has transformed her look by wearing flattering tailoring and coordinated outfits, and this empowers and invigorates." She consistently delivers looks that feel both timeless and of-the-moment, which is all the more impressive considering Sophie dresses herself. "I know what I like and what I don't like, but I have never had a stylist," she told Express in 2015. Still, there have been a few occasions when her outfits haven't completely abided by royal fashion protocol.
But no one is perfect, and, like the other royal women caught wearing inappropriate outfits, Sophie has occasionally missed the mark. It's no wonder, considering that the British royal family has so many complex rules about what to wear. "The bottom line is that the outfit always has to fit the occasion," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Reader's Digest. "It has to be modest, elegant, and appropriate, and it should never distract from the role." Whether it's too many competing colors or a shockingly sexy moment, Sophie's adventures in fashion have sometimes been ill-suited to the very particular and narrow role of a working royal.
This look was too many colors at once
When Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, got dressed for the Royal Ascot in 2001, she opted for a blindingly vibrant skirt suit. This event is particularly prescriptive about what royal attendees must wear, like below-the-knee skirts and wide straps, but the fashion is less stuffy than other annual affairs. "Royal Ascot provides a needed space in fashion for the marrying of tradition and eccentricity," explained fashion expert Elisabeth Murray in an interview with CNN. In a sense, the silhouette of Sophie's look suited the formality of the events, while the colors captured the fun. However, the wild color scheme was confusing, and failed to capitalize on one of the late Queen Elizabeth II's favorite royal dressing hacks; The queen loved a vivid and monochromatic look, which helped make her visible and identifiable in crowds. Sophie would have been better off picking one perky color — not four — and committing to it fully.
This dress was too bridal for someone else's wedding
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wore a graphic black and white gown to the wedding of Norway's Princess Märtha Louise in 2002. The minimal sleeveless dress featured a subtle column skirt and zig-zag pattern. But while it might have been elegant, it was still a major fashion offense. After all, white is traditionally reserved for the bride, and it's the most obvious of the colors you should never wear to a wedding. That's true even if the outfit is only partially white, and a general rule of thumb is that wedding guests should stick to looks that only feature white as an accent. Given that Sophie's dress is more than half white, it doesn't pass that basic test. While it's true that Sophie probably wasn't at risk for outshining the wedding party at that particular wedding — given that the bride is royal in her own right — royals usually take particular care to avoid such flashy, attention-seeking looks when the focus is supposed to be on other people or causes.
This sheer fabric showed a little too much skin
In 2005, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, stepped out in a red dress with sultry sheer panels that offered up some glimpses of bare skin. She looked like a bombshell in the cherry-colored dress with matching shoes and a contrasting white clutch. It didn't reveal anything truly scandalous, and even featured modest long sleeves and an understated wide V-neck. Still, the semi-transparent pieces were a pretty spicy choice, as members of the royal family tend not to bare their midriffs. Though Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been known to embrace the occasional sheer fabric moment, she generally reserves the see-through fabric for her shoulders or, more rarely, her back.
It's not that sheer fabric altogether is taboo. Instead, the problem is that Sophie's dress offers an unexpected flash of midriff. It was a popular early-2000s trend to show a little stomach skin, but it's not exactly royal fashion protocol, which emphasizes modesty and refinement.
This bombshell black gown was a little too sexy
Ladies of the royal family are not supposed to display dramatic cleavage, which is why the black gown that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, donned to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee was such an unexpected choice. The dress featured slim straps that fell off-the-shoulder and a low-cut, wide V-shaped neckline that was seriously sexy. While Sophie looks stunning in the gown, with its elegant shape and subtly flared skirt, it appears to violate the royal family guidelines by exposing her décolletage.
"Wearing cleavage is not appropriate, officially," explained designer and fashion expert Justine Leconte in a YouTube video on royal style. She pointed out the late Queen was never seen in cleavage-baring styles, and described plunging necklines as "off-limits." That means Sophie's dress might have been flattering, but it wasn't at all suited to her royal role. "They're at work when we see them," pointed out one Reddit commenter. "How much skin do you want government mascots showing at the office?"
This patterned dress needed pantyhose
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wore a decidedly unroyal look for the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2010. While the patterned day dress would have been a pretty afternoon look for a non-royal, it is surprisingly short, in relation to how the family prioritizes modesty. That means royal women tend to opt for more demure tea-length and midi-length skirts that fall below the knee. In part, that's to avoid any scandalous windy moments, like the Kate Middleton fashion mishap that stunned royal fans, but it's also a part of the royal family's branding. "A lengthened hemline projects dignity and authority," stylist Oriona Robb explained to Hello!, noting that Kate started wearing longer skirts after formally marrying into the royal family.
But the short skirt on its own isn't all that's shocking about this casual look. Women in the royal family are also expected to wear pantyhose, and yet Sophie appears to be bare-legged. In fact, mandatory stockings are among the strictest fashion rules within the British monarchy. It was imposed by the late Queen Elizabeth herself, who considered it "ladylike, proper, and appropriate, and it's the one rule she [wouldn't] budge on, regardless of temperature," according to Kelly Lynch, a reporter who covers the royal family, in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle.
This textured gown was the wrong color
The black gown that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wore to the Childline and Mission Enfance Royal Gala Dinner in 2006 wasn't just a staggering royal choice due to its plunging neckline. The color was also a royal faux pas. "Generally, it is thought that black is not usually worn unless in mourning," explained etiquette expert Alexandra Messervy in an interview with InStyle [via CBS News]. Reserving black for funerals is a bit of an old-fashioned rule, which might be why Diana, Princess of Wales, was occasionally known to break it, as has Catherine, Princess of Wales, in more recent years. Still, the royal family tends to abide by such classic formalities, which means Sophie looked out of place in the dark-colored gown, with its contrasting textures of velvet and taffeta. It was a glamorous look, but simply not suitable for a member of the monarchy.
This dress was designed for an office
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, turned up for a 2016 charity event in a patterned dress that didn't say "royalty" as much as it did "middle management." The look, by the designer Suzannah, featured a knee-length, pencil-style skirt, three-quarter-length sleeves, and a sculptural neckline. The look wasn't a misfire because it was scandalous; it was perfectly demure. But the royal family strives to dress in a way that looks elegant and sophisticated, and, in this dress, Sophie just looked boring and professional. Appearing at charity events might be her job, but that doesn't mean she should look like she's turning up for a day at the corporate office. There's such a thing as playing it too safe, and this conservative office-wear dress was just that. She blended in with the people surrounding her, rather than standing out with a memorable fashion moment. At least she was wearing pantyhose!
This dress was too short and too black
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, bared a surprising amount of skin when she wore a lace, one-shouldered Stella McCartney frock to a St John Ambulance event. This look was a bit of a misfire for the typically elegant aristocrat, since the intensity of the dark fabric looked harsh with her pale skin and blonde hair. Unfortunately, it also clashed with royal fashion protocol. First, there was the daring neckline — while it didn't reveal any cleavage, it still exposed a lot of skin. It was a shocking contrast to the sheer fabrics that Catherine, Princess of Wales, so often opts to drape over her own shoulders. Plus, the knee-length dress was an unusually short hemline for a member of the royal family. Finally, the third and final strike was the color of her dress, which is inappropriate for a celebratory event, given the monarchy traditionally reserves black for funerals and the solemnity of Remembrance Day.