Duchess Sophie Looked Stunning At 2026 Trooping The Colour — But One Thing Missed The Mark

The United Kingdom celebrated Trooping the Colour on June 13, and the royal family dressed to impress (even if some still wound up on the worst-dressed list for this year's event). Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was no exception, and she looked great — except for one thing.

The Duchess of Edinburgh has had some fashion flops in the past, but here, she wore a very sharp yet summery Roland Mouret dress. From the waist up, the belted piece almost looked like a high-end tennis polo, what with its simple collar and sporty short sleeves. She made it look regal, though, by accessorizing the outfit with an ornate, almost avian Jane Taylor hat and elegant pearl earrings, then elevated the whole ensemble with her gorgeous Diamond Rose Brooch. Unfortunately, she almost ruined the whole thing by wearing a watch that stood out like a sore thumb.

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In the picture above, Sophie and Princess Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, smile and wave from the perch of their cozy carriage as they progressed along the parade route. Between the short sleeves and all the requisite hand-waving, Sophie's chunky, metallic watch was impossible to ignore as it slid around her wrist like a defective Transformer. Distracting and sartorially incongruous, it was a poor choice for an otherwise great ensemble, though there's likely a reason it made an appearance at the event.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, appeared to be wearing the Patek Philippe Twenty~4. While it may have nearly ruined her outfit at the parade, the watch was more expensive than almost any other part of her ensemble, which may partly explain her affinity for it. At the time of writing, the piece retails for nearly $33,000, while Sophie's Roland Mouret dress costs under $1,000.

Patek Philippe is one of the most respected and oldest watch manufacturers, and Sophie isn't alone among the royal family in her penchant for the brand. Queen Elizabeth was a big fan, often alternating between her two different Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watches, her Patek Philippe Calatrava, and her diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe 4975/1G. King Charles also used to wear a Calatrava, as did Princess Diana.

With that family history in mind, Sophie's clunky accessorizing is a bit more forgivable. Nonetheless, it was an awkward choice that hopefully taught the duchess a lesson: If you intend to do a lot of short-sleeved waving, perhaps you should leave the watch at home.