From the time of the first Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1943, Queen Elizabeth was a frequent attendant, where she would enthusiastically watch equestrian events. After her death in 2022, her family members have continued to attend the show in her honor. In 2023, Prince Edward made the short trip from his home, Bagshot Park, to the grounds of Windsor Castle, where he put on a VR headset to try out a riding simulator. This year, his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, joined him to continue the family tradition.
On Wednesday, Sophie arrived at the castle grounds solo, and watched the FEI Dressage Grand Prix. The duchess wore an equestrian-appropriate tweed blazer and navy dress from Me + Em, navy suede boots by Penelope Chilvers, and an Isabel Marant handbag. During the dressage event, she was photographed closely focusing on the action in the manège and laughing with a fellow spectator.
On Thursday, Edward and Sophie arrived at the grounds together and were photographed trying out the options at the event’s bar. Both royals were wearing olive green blazers, but Sophie accessorized with a colorful silk scarf tied around her ponytail.
Earlier this week, Sophie became the first royal to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2022. On Monday, she traveled the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and also carried a message from King Charles III to the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She also continued her work raising awareness of conflict-related sexual violence by meeting with a group of survivors and refugees during the one-day trip.