Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, joined the royal family for a State Banquet welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron to the United Kingdom this week. The duchess wore the her favorite Aquamarine Tiara, which she has worn many, many times over the years. Along with her Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, Sophie also had a new silk ribbon pinned to her gown this evening: the Royal Family Order of King Charles III.
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The Duchess and Duke of Edinburgh arriving at Windsor Castle for the State Banquet.
The Royal Family Order of King Charles III is making a wider debut this week at the French state banquet at Windsor Castle this evening. Queen Camilla wore the order for the first time last year. Royal orders are traditionally given to senior women of the royal family in recognition of their service to the monarch, and recipients can wear more than one royal order at a time. (Thus why Sophie is wearing one for both Charles and Elizabeth. Her mother-in-law bestowed a royal order upon her in 2004.)
State banquets often bring out a parade of gowns and tiaras. Also in attendance on Wednesday while wearing a glittering tiara include Queen Camilla in the Belgian Sapphire Tiara, Princess Anne in the Festoon Tiara, and the Princess of Wales in the Lover’s Knot Tiara. Also notable this year is the location: Rather than Buckingham Palace, the dinner was held at Windsor Castle. The last time a state banquet was held at the castle was in April 2014 when Queen Elizabeth hosted Irish President Michael D. Higgins.
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Sophie at Wimbledon yesterday.
It’s been a busy summer for the royals, and even busier for Sophie as one of the hardest working members of the family. Sophie and her private secretary, Annabelle Galletley, sat next to King Frederick of Denmark on Monday in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. The duchess has also recently made appearances at the Sandringham Festival of Carriage Driving, the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival, Kent County Agricultural Society Show, and the memorial service for the victims of the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in London.
Sophie was also a regular presence at Royal Ascot this year, made a summer style statement in green at Trooping the Colour, and arrived with Kate Middleton at the Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor in June.
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Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.