The Duchess of Edinburgh has been spotted sporting a £1,200 dress at the Olympics in what marks the latest stylistic slam-dunk for Sophie.
The duchess made headlines for her fashion sense once again as she stepped out to witness a world-record Team GB cycling performance in Paris last night – donning a purple floral midi dress from British designer Erdem Moralıoğlu for the occasion.
The dress – the Roisin pleated voile midi from Moralıoğlu’s brand ERDEM – retails for some $1,500 (£1,200), and even features an artistic reference to Olympic glory.
The ERDEM number’s floral print takes inspiration from 17th-Century etchings of bouquets of tulips, daffodils and honeysuckle – not so dissimilar from those lifted by medalists at the last Games in Tokyo.
Sophie looked on as Team GB set a world-record time in the sprintPA
The dress’s floral print takes inspiration from 17th-Century etchings
Net-A-Porter/PA
The duchess, pictured at France’s National Velodrome in the ERDEM offering
PA
And though Team GB’s Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell didn’t lift any flowers in triumph at France’s National Velodrome last night, their world-record team sprint cycling time and gold medals surely provided ample solace.
Sophie’s choice of footwear on the night – namely, white Penelope Chilvers high wedge espadrilles, mark a consistency in style upheld by the duchess since her arrival in Paris on Saturday.
As she met the British ambassador to France and Monaco, Dame Menna Rawlings, the Duchess of Edinburgh sported a smart pair of Toms espadrille wedges.
Sophie paired her pair with a blue shirt dress by Max Mara as she posed with Dame Rawlings at L’hôtel De Charost.
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Team GB’s Katy Marchant, Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell snatched their golds on Monday
PA
And just days later, Sophie was seen wiping away tears last night as Team GB’s women stormed to glory.
The duchess, in her role as patron of the British Cycling Federation, expressed her delight in full voice, cupping her hands to her mouth and applauding as GB’s women pipped New Zealand to gold in a lightning-fast 45.186 seconds.
Later, she was seen taking selfies with fans in the stands – before the victorious three took to the podium to receive their gongs.
Gold medalist Sophie Capewell, 25, was in floods of tears after the finish, referencing the October 2021 death of her father Nigel – a former Paralympic cyclist who competed in Atlanta and Sydney.
Sophie hob-nobbed with hockey stars as she swapped a teal shirt dress for a white linen number
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Capewell said: “The journey to get here for everyone has been up and down… I’ve had my own personal battles – I wish my dad was up in the stands watching it, but I know he’s super proud of me. It didn’t feel real all day.”
But it wasn’t just cycling success the duchess was spectating – on her second day in the French capital, she was seen hob-nobbing with Britain’s hockey stars in her role as patron of GB Hockey.
Sophie swapped out the aforementioned teal shirt dress for a white linen Gabriela Hearst belted number – again, with her trademark Toms.
For her visit, the Royal Family’s social media profile talked up her presence in Paris, and detailed how she joined spectators at the men’s quarter-final against India on Sunday – as well as her arrival at the Team GB “performance hub”.