The Duchess of Edinburgh is undertaking a three-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. On the second day of her visit, the Duchess, representing King Charles, attended the Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre in Potocari, Bosnia, where she read aloud a message from the King.
The Srebrenica Memorial Centre, the site of the commemoration, is located in the former battery factory that served as the UN base in 1995 and where thousands of people sought refuge in the days leading up to the fall of Srebrenica.
Afterwards, the Duchess visited the UK-funded exhibition “In the Footsteps of Those Who Have (Not) Crossed,” which displays personal belongings of people killed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995, as well as items belonging to survivors.
The Duchess looks very appropriate here. Given the nature of the event, the colour and the length of the dress is right on point. I am touched by her reverence and sympathy. Well done, Sophie.
ReplyDelete- Anon 9:13
You are very right!
DeleteI agree completely.
DeleteKim
It is necessary to remember this genocide and the responsibility of the Dutch UN armed forces. SOME perpetrators have been punished. In these years, unfortunately, none would have been (remember the courage and tenacity of Carla Del Ponte). Irene
ReplyDeleteThis is a very wrong comment!!
DeleteSorry Anonymus 18.07, Read the documents and articles and especially the testimonies of the survivors. Irene
DeleteBut these type of floral maxis dont look good for official visits. Bold/plain colors are more suitable, mid-length.
ReplyDeleteHow could this happened in Europe in modern times?
ReplyDeleteAgreed - Looks like a boost of the middle ages.
DeleteMESH
Genocide is still occurring in modern times. Evil leaders do evil things.
DeleteThe dress is okay, becoming her signature style
ReplyDeleteThe length of the dress has nothing to do with this daytime occasion. Quite a lot of the women present there wear trousers - and don't wear anything with colourful flowers on it. I think it is not necessary for Sophie to wear black like the mourners themselves - but it would have been good not to wear a floral dress. I find her really very lovely as a person and beautiful as a woman, but a sartorial taste is simply a missing component in her charming person.
ReplyDeleteI think the dress hits the perfect note here. Sophie has her own preferred style and represents her country officially here, and is speaker too. Per any other official tour, everything will be timed to the minute and organised to perfection, including double checking appropriate clothes.
DeleteDear @Anon 19:51, "Sophie has her own preferred style", does it mean that nobody can put forward an opinion about her preferred style? then Helen could close up here. Floral patterns are simply not really something one would expect at a memorial. Of course she can choose to wear it, but we can choose to opine about it.
Deleteanonymous 17:37 and 20:34 what if the flowers were printed on silk fabric, would that disqualify her from them then, I think not!
Delete@Fitzhugh, disqualify her - I do not, I do respect her choice and try to avoid such hard words :-). But I'd like to be able to express my opinion about it: "it would have been good not to wear florals" - this is not a disqualification, but a personal opinion about colourful florals to rather sad occasions.
Delete@ 08:29
DeleteNo flowers could ever take from the Duchess's dignified and absolutely appropriate overall presentation and behaviour.
You expressed your opinion.
Fine and great to know.
Ce style de robe à motif floral est parfait afin que Sophie soit présente pour cette visite de commémoration anniversaire !
ReplyDeleteAppropriate wardrobe for this trip on behalf of the King
ReplyDeleteAt first glance I thought Sophie was wearing her Etro dress she wore when she visited the Ukraine April last year. It’s a very similar style and coloring. Begs the question,why buy and wear an almost identical dress! Both dresses as per Sophie’s style are ankle length,which shortens her. The pull string waist can be unforgiving even on someone as slim built as Sophie.
ReplyDeleteShe is representing the king and as such the UK,styling is a strong arm of soft diplomacy. No one wants to look like they grabbed the first thing out the suitcase.
Lowri.
The British royal family is highly experienced in all matters of protocol and I am positive that this dress was worn upon approval from relevant sources and that the special character of the floral pattern caused no offence, regardless of what other participants wore.
ReplyDelete🌞 Virginia
Yes Virginia! Saying we prefer different styles is cool and fun and I like the discussion - but saying she’s inappropriate or wrong doesn’t really work when the royals know their jobs much better then we do!
DeleteNice outfit, for a somber event. Evil is always amongst us, sad.
ReplyDeletecss
As usual, the dress if knee length or just below knee length would be so much better. It’s described in the details as a ‘midi’ but on the Duchess it is nearer maxi length. These wedges are an improvement on the ones she usually wears.
ReplyDeleteThis dress is perfect for this visit. The length, design and colors are good. A lovely visit.
ReplyDeleteThe other local women are dressed better than Duchess Sophie. They all wear modern clothes. I am always wondering what the habitants of these countries are thinking of royal visitors who are dressed in a folkloric style which they think they have to wear but doesn't correspond with what the locals are wearing today. Maybe these people are wearing the best clothes they have to attend the ceremony for those they lost.
ReplyDelete…. Well she’s an esteemed visitor, invited to speak at a very sensitive event, and she does those speeches so beautifully and with such heart, I think in high likelihood they feel very honoured to have Sophie there.
Delete1. We don't really see the clothes of the other women at the ceremony (except for the guide).
Delete2. Sophie is not wearing the folkloric style of the local people in Bosnia. It is simply a black dress with a floral motif. It would be nice if the dress was a little shorter, but it is still appropriate for the event. The black basic color of the dress looks reverent, the floral motif is decent, she, as a royal visitor, should look "recognizable" (her mother-in-law Elizabeth II's motto) and at the same time not "too different". Not everyone can handle this delicate balance, but Sophie has managed it. In the photos where she has a white scarf on her head, Sophie looks very decent and elegant.
Stephanie
@ Stephanie
DeleteI can see the clothes of the other women in the second picture. I am not going to repeat the colors and kind of clothes the women with the white shawls are wearing. When I can see them everybody can see them.
I didn't say that Sophie is wearing the folkloric style of the local people in Bosnia. I said that she was wearing a dress in "a" folkloric style and that the local ladies who attend the ceremony are wearing modern clothes (some of them are even wearing pant suits).
Queen Elizabeth II always wore her own style no matter at what ceremony she had to go, in the U.K. or abroad. She wore a dress, a coat and a hat or a skirt, a jacket and a hat and always the same accessories. The only thing that she changed was the color of her clothes so that she was appropriately dressed for the event or ceremony she had to assist. I had a great admiration for the late Queen.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is fashion blog, some comments leave me more and more speechless.
What counts more, the Duchess's updo and clothes in general, or the meaning of her visit?
She is perfectly attired for a sombre occasion like this, from head to toe.
Clothes and hair styles are plain futile details.
Someone might want lo learn more about the Srebrenica Genocide?
The Duchess was representing a King and Head of State, that is King Charles.
She acted loads better than some political figures in apical roles could ever have done on the same occasion.
And yes, I do agree and kindly ask Helen to close up this thread.
There is no room for runways or beauty contests here.
Let's give prominence to things that really matter.
I am only speaking MY mind and what MY conscience suggests.
There is nothing theatrical in this and I am no all knowing for sure.
I hope someone here knows what I mean.
....
Thank you, Helen, for giving me the opportunity to express how I feel about this thread.
P. the original
This is a fashion blog. To discuss politics, I go somewhere else, for sure.
DeleteAddition
ReplyDeleteWhat may look like a sartorial "preference"of the Duchess, actually conveys a clear message.
The dress from the brand Raishma is no random or last minute choice, quite the opposite.
It brings deeper meanings to the public attention and was thoughtfully selected for sure.
This brand blends eastern, Islamic and western features.
More information can be found on the net.
Sometimes one needs to stop and focus on higher levels of significance well beyond futile exteriority
You are not the only one who looks things up on the net, I did it too. Raishma's own description does not say anything about blending the above mentioned features in the description of this dress (https://raishma.co.uk/products/raina-dress?srsltid=AfmBOorkt99M7kZgDwypEz_JWLpl8ePeerYR-AvGdfxvA3BE4VgcqH_5). But even if she did: just think about all the people who lost family members, how many of them will know, what Raishma supposedly blends in her luxurious garments - how many of them get the message that you propose is hidden in the dress? Probably not a single one. And the memorial is for these people. To sum up, florals are florals.
DeleteYou didn't get what I said.
DeleteI wrote additional information about the Raishma brand JUST to please some people on this thread that seem to be more interested in the supposed out of place floral pattern worn to this memorial than in the Genocide itself.
Raishma is actually an inclusive brand open to the most different cultural influences and you might want to read additional information about this brand and their numbers, including the one pictured here as carefully as possible.
A credit to them for being culturally sensitive but that's all I said and it is not what I am really focused on this thread.
ME, yes, I am interested ONLY in the Memorial and all the lives lost forever.
I am not that superficial..
I am not and could never be any fashion horse on threads like this one.
Please, would you be so kind as to read ALL my comments here especially the one published at 14:14?
I even kindly asked Helen to close up this thread because of some absolutely unnecessary fashion comments I had spotted.
At least a modicum of respect is due to the victims.
Fashion can wait.
There won't be any further replies from me.
Thank you.
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