On May 5, 2026, the Duchess of Edinburgh visited Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. During the visit, the Duchess learned about electrical power and space systems used in modern satellite development. Airbus is a global leader in the sector, with activities including Earth observation satellites, defence systems, and space missions for agencies such as the European Space Agency.
For the visit, the Duchess wore a white gabardine wool jacket with gold buttons by the Italian fashion house Prada. She also wore the “Dugald Bouquet” midi skirt by Gabriela Hearst.
Prada Gabardine Wool Jacket
Gabriela Hearst Maude Pleated Skirt
Same as in case of GD Stephanie today: If it has to be long hair and without hairstylist for the outing (no hairstylist for a normal day visit is highly understandable) , than a low ponytail, to look well-groomed. The Duchess' hair looks untidy. - Everything else like most of the time: busy allover print, thankfully covered at the top part), a skirt that is too long and a not quite well fitting jacket that would be nice with trousers or a pencil skirt, but not with a dress. For me, she looks disappointing, good enough for Mrs XY to run errands but not for the Duchess of Edinburgh representing the Royal family.
ReplyDeleteTo be a royal family member is to either be born or marry into it, but the role doesn’t come with a dress code. I wonder if we have super stratospheric high expectations due to fairy tales?! Because otherwise these are individuals just doing their best and being … individual!
DeleteI feel the opposite 22:44! I think the outfit is sweet and neat and suits Sophie very well. The flowery soft dress with the structured jacket is lovely and professional. I like the hem length and it’s obviously a length she enjoys. Her hair is clean and brushed and nothing more is required.
DeleteTrue, she always looks like 'Mrs XY to run errands'
DeleteI don’t disagree with your opinion, but is there a time that her hair was styled compared to almost all of her outings?
Delete@07:03: dear Anon 07:03, nobody doubts for a moment that she likes what she is wearing ... but this is not a fashion argument. We are here to tell if *we* like what she is wearing or not and why. So please stop with non-arguments like "she likes what she wears". Same applies to clean hair ... brushed or not: what counts is the impression she makes. If you like it: fine. Let *others* think differently about it.
DeleteCette veste est élégante mais je la verrais mieux portée sur cette jupe avec quelques centimètres plus courte !
ReplyDeleteThe Prada jacket is well crafted and designed, suits the Duchess well. I am not sure of the combination with this dress. I personally like skirts/dresses longer, but this is even too long for me. I love the color of her shoes.
ReplyDeleteThe jacket is lovely but too small for Sophie. The skirt is too long as usual.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes and not adapted to the visit.
Delete@ MaryT
DeleteYou said it not me.
I like these feminine dresses very much! But I agree she should have done something with her hair.
ReplyDeleteI love the contrast of flowy soft dress and well cut shorter jacket. This is a great look for Sophie. We know she loves longer hems and that’s a completely valid personal choice. Her hair is soft and natural. All up great spring look!
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteNothing amiss with the jacket, it's a great style, just the combination with the dress. The jacket is made of a heavier structured lined fabric, and the dress fabric is much thinner and more delicate. The difference in fabric weight makes the outfit look like a winter jacket over a summer dress.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, it is difficult to find any sort of jacket that doesn't look like an afterthought when worn over a printed summer day dress -- unless they are designed as a set. Lyra
@08:40: You are right, it is also a clash of fabrics (and with it, of style too). Additionally, the sleeves are voluminous, this puts a certain stress on the jacket sleeves and as a consequence, maybe on the fit of the whole jacket, anyway, it is a bit too tight across the breast. She likes the dress+jacket combinations, but they are difficult, not without good reasons: they were not really created to be worn together. And yes - she is a lovely woman, but her choices are not for her advantage.
DeleteA very summery look, favoured by many. The DofE likes to wear her dresses longer than many might like but it is her preference and she wears them well. Nothing wrong with her hair, such petty criticism by some . She is doing her job not trying to be the centre of attention, that is not the purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhen Queen Maxima is wearing her hair like this, she receives a lot of bad and unfair comments.
ReplyDeleteMáxima has no "middle terrain": Either her hair hangs like Sophie's today, or she is perfectly hairstyled by a professional. In most cases, it just hangs down. Sophie is different. Usually she is "middle terrain", her hair not styled by a professional, but looks fine, especially if put back or up. Today, she left her "middle terrain" (nothing special, but OK and neat) into the wrong direction.
DeleteI love the look. She’s visiting an industrial company: Airbus. No particular requirement except to be neat and clean. I do not understand the criticism of her hair: it is HER hair. It is neat and clean and brushed. We do not need to do more with our hair than that! Some like to use curling wands and hair spray etc every day, but that is more an American trend than an English one. Certainly y expected nor required here.
ReplyDelete@10:58- the D of E's hair is not looking anything like Maxima's which more often than not looks unwashed, unbrushed, roots showing and straggly.
ReplyDeleteBad hair is always looking unwashed, unbrushed, etc... wether you are a princess or a queen or a civilian. On picture N° 6 it looks even worse than Maxima's.
DeleteFor such a visit (a technology/space/aerospace company) I think it better to pair this jacket, which I like, with some trousers. It could have made a fantastic look. While I don't dislike floral dresses in general, they certainly make sense in some cases, some circumstances, this might not be a visit for which a floral dress seems to be the top choice. At least not in my eyes. I am glad, however, to see her again. Always a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteThis is becoming her signature look. A jacket rather than a coat with whatever. I find the jackets though nice, do not always a good match. In this case the colours flow, but for me the gold buttons throw it off. Her hair is okay, she has fine, light coloured hair and it doesn’t help having the sun shine through it.
ReplyDeleteI like this skirt paired with the fitted jacket better than paired with the top with the big sleeves, as seen in the picture at the bottom. I think Sophie’s hair looks pretty good and soft worn like this - she has a very distinct “widow’s peak” hairline that doesn’t always look as good with some of her DIY updos, but I think looks good here.
ReplyDelete-Royal Watcher
@15:09 no royal lady shown on this blog can match the mess that so often is Maxima`s hair.
ReplyDelete@08:29: Until now :-). I wanted to show you something I saw today, how a woman in the "royalty of politics" solves the problem of long hair, but no time for big hairstyling every time she receives somebody. It is Georgia Meloni, PM of Italy, receiving the incoming new Prime Minister of Hungary for the first time. Impeccably dressed - and look at her hair, when she turns around - I find it absolutely amazing! https://www.instagram.com/p/DYCV5jyNoCQ/
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