I didn’t pay any attention to Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at Trooping the Colour, so here’s a post about her appearance. She’s now one of the most senior women in the Windsor clan, just below Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal and the Princess of Wales. Sophie flashes her working royal credentials constantly, and we know that she considers herself to be the monarchy’s secret weapon. So she was included on the anemic all-white balcony for Trooping, off to the other side of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Fashion notes: Sophie wore an unflattering cream dress from Beulah London, a dress which retails for £695, with a Jane Taylor hat. Is it just me or is this whole ensemble just… Sophie cosplaying Kate? That style of dress, with the pleating at the neck, looks so much like the McQueen dresses Kate has customized. The hat is also very Kate. Kate must love it that FINALLY, someone is cosplaying her. While I didn’t think Sophie looked good, compared to Camilla and Kate, Sophie was fine.
Before the balcony wave, Sophie was watching the parade from a separate building and I guess she was looking after the Wales children. Sidenote: Sophie and Edward’s kids were not invited or welcome on the balcony, which… people were complaining about. I agree, Lady Louise and James should have been on the balcony, but Charles is awful, so here we go. Anyway, Sophie was seen with Princess Charlotte, and royal fans think Sophie told Charlotte to “sit down” quite sharply. You decide! I’m no “lip reader,” but Sophie did look like she spoke sharply to Charlotte.
Princess Charlotte & Duchess Sophie viewing the parade.
pic.twitter.com/3fj1oiTWQV— Gert's Royals (@Gertsroyals) June 17, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- (L-R) – King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward – The Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony at Buckingham Palace inLondon, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023 after The Annual Trooping The Colour for the Kings Birthday Parade.,Image: 783936010, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh and Edward – The Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony at Buckingham Palace inLondon, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023 after The Annual Trooping The Colour for the Kings Birthday Parade.,Image: 783936035, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh and Edward – The Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony at Buckingham Palace inLondon, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023 after The Annual Trooping The Colour for the Kings Birthday Parade.,Image: 783936035, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 17th June 2023. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Sir Tim Lawrence ride in a horse drawn carriage in the procession along the Mall at King Charles III first Trooping the Colour since becoming Monarch.,Image: 783945292, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose / Avalon
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- The Royal Family receive the crowds and look on at the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour, the King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK on June 17 2023. Present (L-R) Sir Timothy Laurence, the Princess Royal, (Princess Anne), Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Princess of Wales, HRH Prince of Wales (Prince William), HM King Charles III, HM Queen Camilla, Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward), Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie), Duke of Kent, Duchess of Gloucester, Duke of Gloucester.,Image: 783948830, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lee Floyd / Avalon
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- London, UK 17 June 2023. Trooping the Colour (The King’s Birthday Parade) takes place on a hot and humid day in London with HRH King Charles III, accompanied by the three Royal Colonels, attending on horseback to take the salute with over 1400 officers and men on parade. During the ceremony The King is greeted by a Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops. After the massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop’, the escorted Regimental Colour of the Welsh Guards is carried down the ranks. At the end of the ceremony in Horse Guards parade The King rides back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace. His Majesty joins other members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony for an extended fly-past by the Royal Air Force.,Image: 783949423, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: MALCOLM PARK / Avalon
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- Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh rides to the King’s Birthday Parade also known as Trooping The Colour at Buckingham Palace in London, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023.,Image: 784109089, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh rides to the King’s Birthday Parade also known as Trooping The Colour at Buckingham Palace in London, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023.,Image: 784109094, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Hissing at children in an Alexander McQueen coatdress? Yep sounds like Kate.
I don’t like Sophie – but I don’t think she was being unkind. It looks like Charlotte leaned over and said something and Sophie agreed with her.
It’s probably some sort of honor to be “in charge” of the wails children before they are trotted out for the cameras. Truly. Now her name is tied to being trusted with the heir’s heirs.
I agree. I don’t think she spoke hardly to Charlotte. Just a chat with her great aunt.
I agree – it looked to me like Charlotte said something about it being loud and Sophie agreed. They only show the smallest clip. If she’d told her to sit down, Charlotte would have sat down!
No. She’s not that stupid. If she had yelled, ‘SIT DOWN’, Charlotte would have immediately acted.
More likely they were talking and it was loud and Sophie had to yell-ish.
I actually do read lips (80% bilateral hearing loss so my brain programmed itself to do so many years ago) and this is bitchy. I could see it from a mile away, and I can actually tell someones tone when I read lips. She is a CUN……..
Megan would have been chased with pitch forks had she done the same. Sophie is a cow.
Lip reading is like other forms of communication – we see or hear different things. Perception is different. I lip read and saw nothing negative in the video.
I have strong, negative opinions about royalty and all the racism that the Sussexes have brought to light. There is plenty to be critical of with these people.
I have bad hearing so I compensate with reading lips. I got “sit down”. I think a lot of apologists are just trying to clean this up.
I lipread as compensation for hearing loss (can still hear though) and I didn’t see anything negative either. Looks like Charlotte leaned over to Sophie to be heard and Sophie said/agreed “it’s loud” and emphasized that so Charlotte would hear her.
It looks like “Right now,” not “Sit down.”
According to one paper, Charlotte asked Sophie something like, when will they come? and Sophie replied, They are coming now. Maybe.
The wails supposedly had asked Louise to baby sit their children. So now Sophie is doing that?
I think it’s supposed to be a “close family” aunt watches the kids quick while mom and dad hate each other on a balcony thing.
And close aunt – who may have taken the fall for said dad killing someone with his reckless motorcade – gets to be seen as trusted and close and maternal.
Or whatever.
It looks like Sophie was frustrated , but she did yell at Charlotte “Sit down!” There is a previous pic where Charlotte is leaning on the window and Sophie looks like-she wants to slap the little girl but there is an other member of the royal family behind! There was nobody to babysit the child and no cousins around to entertain her 😂
William was in the parade and Kate was on the viewing stand. Same as every other year. The kids were likely being watched by their nanny and Charlotte was just chatting with Sophie. At no point did it appear that Sophie wanted to “slap” a child.
Nanny Maria was there the whole time. The papers even ran something on her outfit.
I think Sophie said “it’s loud”. The video cut off suddenly so we don’t know if Charlotte sat down immediately. Anyway, Charlotte seems comfortable enough to initiate a conversation and lean towards her.
I think Camilla was the worst dressed.
I’m not sure what Sophie said, but if she snapped at Charlotte we will probably see some freezing out of Sophie by WanK. I can’t imagine that they would want W’s aunt to scold their daughter, especially on camera. I don’t know if Sophie did that though.
Alexandria, I completely agree about Camzilla: a military house dress in a clashing red to the British military uniforms and in a different fabric as well? That was certainly tone deaf and the worst dressed.
I agree. Sophie was being over the top and exaggerating her reactions all day, and she seems like the type that would speak loudly and slowly to children like they’re little idiots.
She is not stupid though and she’s riding a wave right now that she is not going to mess up by yelling at William’s kids.
I don’t think she scolded her at all. Sophies face gestures don’t appear to reflect that. Neither Charlotte’s body language before or after. I think she said something pithy and innocuous in an somewhat clownish and exaggerated manner. It also appears that Sophies response was in agreement with what Charlotte said.
@laura-agree. Like if Charlotte did say it’s really loud, it’s looks like Sophie said, yes it is REALLY LOUD! And emphasized really loud, plus Sophie has a little smile after she’s done talking right before the video cuts and charlottes face doesn’t give anything away like being scolded.
@Laura: If you’re talking about the same Sophie Wessex who dared tell an actor not to “give up [his] day job” because she deemed his performance appalling, you may want to reconsider your kind exculpatory impression.
Sophie has only survived the royal quagmire because she is the foulest-speaking and meanest human being you can think of. She did bluntly order the child to sit down, right after spotting a camera lens on her left – pay attention to her quick eye movement.
Charles never knew how to interact with his sons, Catherine Middleton grimaces and displays her threatening row of oversized teeth in front of children, so no wonder Sophie is likewise unnatural and existentially uncomfortable with children’s spontaneousness.
Let us not be fooled by Sophie’s angelic literary attributes (blonde hair, blue eyes). Seasoned witch it is.
@ Alexandria she’s dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner!
Sorry I don’t get it. Was she paying tribute to them? If so, that’s fine.
Also her boobs are clearly too low for where the dress darts are placed. It really is obvious in the carriage picture where the sunlight hits.
Her boobs are not that big.
She should have either gotten a bra that shoved them up to the right position or had the tailor lower the exit point for the dart. Either would not have cost that much and not have taken that much time.
@ B, why are the Windsor women refusing to purchase a decent bra? It’s not like they are hurting for money. They end up ruining their fugly clothes without a decent bra.
I agree that Sophiesta didn’t appear to scold Charlotte, she was simply responding to her.
Agree that she’s dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner, especially as women are now allowed to be CP’s and wear the uniform.
Sophie is a mean girl and I wouldn’t put it past her to have scolded. Her outfit was blah as per her usual.
@susanCollins, agreed Susan, she is a real mean girl, straight out of the Kate and camz play book. To me it looked as if she hissed “sit down” to Charlotte, maybe she was afraid the camera wouldn’t take HER picture, but from the ones we did see, I’m glad there weren’t many!
I think she hissed sit down…look at how Charlotte scrunches her face after Sophie does that.
I think “it’s loud,” as Alexandria suggests, would make sense.
It reminds me of Camilla snapping at her at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and Charlotte crying — the press made it into a little kid being sad about her great grandma. But from the video, it seemed a lot more like she was crying because she was snapped at for screwing around at a funeral while her mom preened and posed.
How come will and Kate allow their relatives to scold their children. Camilla and Sophie should not be doing this.
Eh, that’s pretty normal in most families. I’ve definitely told my nieces and nephews to knock it off if they were clowning around, and I definitely was told that as a kid. I’ve never heard my parents reprimand anyone, and my siblings have definitely never reprimanded me. Not sure if that’s what happened in this case though, lip reading is definitely not my forte.
In my family, whichever adult family member saw the behavior they would correct the kid. It wasn’t something anyone ever talked about, we just did it.
I, too, think that Sophie said, “it’s loud.”
Their children are so so precious
It is so normal In my family and culture to scold kids who are misbehaving as long as you are an adult that is trying to teach them good manners. In fact some even go as far as spanking.
Exactly. Relatives and others in my world can scold each other’s children if they are misbehaving or doing something dangerous. Imma give you the black woman look if you are acting up, you better believe it.
Yes indeedy
What a non-story. From what I have observed, Charlotte is a strangely mature and secure little girl. I don’t think she would misbehave- she seems to be the ones keeping George on his toes (One time I saw her nudge George to stand at attention for the anthem when they were on the balcony) and she seems to keep Louis from going overboard more effectively than her mother. Don’t recall anybody writing about people reprimanding Charlotte while the Queen was alive. Charlotte seems to have been born with royal protocol in her DNA.
Whatever she said, none of the royals looked to be in the best humor at the trooping. Sophie better watch her back, this is the sort of thing Meghan used to get accused of. Interesting that none of the other cousins and children were even invited to be behind the scenes like last year.
Sophie also had a more central balcony position than Kate, who was shuffled down to the far side of the monarch. Kate will have noticed.
Also, the quick way the BBC cut from the scene with Sophie and Charlotte indicates a high chance that the censor thought that the interaction did not fit into the “Windsors are the role model for happy families” narrative they push.
They all seemed a bit miserable. Not even the daily fail could make it look like a festive event. i think hating M&H was the only thing they have in common and they are all pouting about not being able to kick their favorite target anymore.
I think that perhaps Sophie said “look down” because Charlotte immediately look down out the window.
IDK. It seemed like Charlotte was pretty seated, so I don’t think she said “sit down” but it did look sharp. Maybe Sophie was just yelling to be heard over the noise of the parade?
Just from the split second expression we get of Sophie’s face after she said (maybe it’s loud) it doesn’t look like a sharp comment to me.
Neither did I. The clip is so short, how could anyone decipher the exchange, unless there is an alternate clip?
Maybe this is Sophie’s “punishment” for looking like she enjoyed hanging out with Baldemort more than Keen does. Or vice versa, lol. Anyway I hate Charlotte’s dress, she looks like an extra from The Sound of Music.
That girl always wears hideous clothes.
I don’t understand how they get an eight year old in a dress like that. No eight year old I know would be caught dead. Are these kids so intimidated by their parents and nannies that they literally can’t speak up for themselves?
I think 8 year olds are pretty into dresses with bows. If it had a tutu Charlotte probably would have liked it even more.
Charlotte seems to recoil and quickly look away. They all looked miserable on the balcony. Without Queen Elizabeth it’s amazing how it all looks like such a charade. As if the royals have no clothes.
Charlotte seems to recoil and quickly look away. They all looked miserable on the balcony. Without Queen Elizabeth it’s amazing how it all looks like such a charade. As if the royals have no clothes.
Meh, I can’t make heads or tails of what she said. All I got is that if my niece was hanging out a huge, open, barless window I’d be pretty sharp with telling her to get down. Too dangerous to allow room for but obeying. I’d do it to an adult too.
All of this, AGREED.
Same. I’ve never been one of those “don’t tell my kid what to do people”. It takes a village and if no one was telling her to get down I’m not going to fault her for courtly doing it.
I’m not sure Sophie said to Charlotte but she’s never going to snap at her because she knows that she’s going to be dependent on Charlotte’s father when he becomes King. I’m more interested in the fallout from the balcony appearance on Saturday. The royalists were upset that only working royals were allowed on the balcony. Isn’t that what they wanted or did that just apply to Harry and Meghan?
I lip read and it looked to me like Sophie said “get down”. Say “get” and then say “sit” and you all see that the shape of the mouth is different.
As for Sophie’s hat? I don’t think she’s cosplaying Kate more like that they both get free hats from Jane Taylor. Or maybe they both pay for their hats and it’s just coincidence that Jane Taylor show the same hats on her Instagram feed as soon as the royal wears the hat?
I’m curious as to why Sophie or Louise would be babysitting Kate’s kids? Kate has nannies to look after her kids so why make the relatives do it?
“It’s loud” makes sense. I don’t think she was reprimanding Charlotte mainly because Charlotte wasn’t acting out. She looked safe to me.
Sophie is also nodding as she said it like she’s responding and agreeing with whatever Charlotte leaned in to tell her. So “it’s loud” makes sense to me too.
That’s what I thought, I’ve watched it several times and she definitely said “It’s loud”. Must have been during the flypast
Don’t know what duchess i don’t care about people who my motorcade run over said but i would completely believe she told that little girl off . We all know Sophie is the resident mean girl, just like her bff Katie buttons
Yeah, that was either, “sit down!” or “get down.”
Definitely “sit down!”
Actually it could be “It’s now”.
Are they trying to replicate Meghan’s charming encounter with Zara’s children at the Jubilee but sadly failed.
What was the comment about Sophie having taken the fall for . . . William and his motorcade? I haven’t heard/seen that.
My take from the pictures above is what a miserable looking man Tim Laurence is, P Anne’s husband.
The poor man is married to Anne, and sacrificed having children of his own as a result.
Yeah I expect we’re going to see less of Louise and James because not only do they seem rather unamused by these obligations but James is becoming a handsome young man and that’s going to feel threatening to William soon, and probably George too eventually in a few years. Since his “birthright” is to be the attention getter in that families eyes. Lady Louise is already quite becoming and of course just entering the prime of her young adulthood, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that ruffles Kate too.
I guess the competitiveness filters down to children, it must rankle that little Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are growing up to be so beautiful.
Sophie is such a pill.
It looks like Sophie is saying “because it’s loud.” I don’t think she’s scolding, just answering a question.
I don’t know, but what’s that abomination on her head? It distracts from everything. Without Harry and Meghan the lot of them are ugly.
Her ensemble was mind-numbingly boring but managed to stand out as “at least it’s not horrible” like Cam and Kate. Ugh Charles what are you doing.
The UK tabloids had lip readers on this.
Charlotte asked: “Sophie, how long will it be?” To which Sophie replied, “I think it’s now.”
No. She said “Sit down!’
What a stifled, trapped life.
Like others I think she said ‘Its loud’ and to me it also looked like she was speaking slowly as well to make herself understood.
All those long boring parades, etc.
I hope those 3 kids are happy at school and in their activities.
If Sophie spoke sharply to Char, I’ll give her a pass. I don’t think Sophie wants to be there either. LOL.
An Auntie is cranky, said Auntie tells your royal butt to sit down, big deal.
Mike Tinsdale giving the then 4 y/o Louis “I’ve got my eye on you, buster!” finger point and glare was worse IMO.
Could have been “It’s loud” or “It’s now” but it’s funny how desperate the tabs are that they make it “Sit down” and try to start something.
I’d spend every night soaking in the tub just to get away from all the guff.
The late queen was always very inclusive regarding the family making balcony appearances. She always had three generations standing with her, and four towards the end when she began having great grandchildren. It was obvious she was the matriarch of the clan and everyone acted accordingly and respected her. Charles? He has no ability to bring people together because all he can focus on is himself and Camilla because she is important to his own well-being. He can’t be patriarch and follow in his mother’s footsteps- he can’t even bring his sons together to complete his family. He wants a smaller royal family so that there will be more focus on him. The monarchy is going to cost as much and more with fewer “working royals.” More money for Charles and his “family” meaning Camilla and the Parker-Bowles children.
Sophie looks better than Kate. Could this be an interview as step-mother? Because I think she would treat the kids better than Kate.
I like both the hat and the dress on Sophie.
Kate has on an upside down ceiling light cover for a hat.
I’d like to say that I saw the photos of C, W, and Anne on horseback and those are some gorgeous horses!
I agree that QE made balcony photo opps more interesting, she had a ton of relatives on the balcony with her and I do think it did give a better appearance.
This slimmed down bit, is 85% old people.
Bring in B and E and their spouses and kids, hell get the Tinsdale crew up there but put Mike on the end. Fill in that space.
Charles is losing relatives like crazy, those 3 on the R, the Duke of whatever is 87. Let the poor man go home and sit.
I don’t think that Sophie scolded Charlotte. As others said, Charlotte leaned in as if to ask a question and it looks as if Sophie answered probably agreeing about it being loud or long or something of that nature. Sophie seemed to nod her head at the same time she was speaking to Charlotte, as if in agreement. My issue besides this pointless parade and the money spent for it, is the lack of bra fitting specialists for this wealthy and entitled family. How do they have someone to design or fit their ugly clothes and make fascinators but no one bothers to address their issue with sagging boobs? Sophie’s dress was okay, she pulled the Kate style off better than Kate, but the fitting was off as was the lack of a good bra. It would more polished and presentable if she wore the proper bra. The same goes for Camilla who always needs a good bra. Kate’s whole outfit was ridiculous. How does she always attempt to copy an iconic moment and destroy the look entirely. Those window panels she calls buttons were horrendous. Diana and every woman she mimics is a style icon who can’t be imitated by someone who lacks style like Kate. No matter how desperate she is she always fails and makes iconic looks look clownish.
It could be that Camilla and Sophie have health/pain issues that stop them from wearing “proper bras”. Large breasts can be uncomfortable and the bras that provide lift and shaping can be pretty painful. I’m willing to give them a pass here.
Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mum both gave up the battle to “lift and separate” as they got older. For Camilla who was small breasted in her youth, her now larger breasts may be a painful aging change she has to live with.
I agree with “It’s loud!” especially as it would have been loud. Interesting that Charlotte wanted to be next to Sophie.
I’m not seeing anything strange or tense here. Seems like a lot of negative assumption is being made here that doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual exchange
I can’t see Sophie being or saying anything cross to the Wales children. She knows what side her bread is buttered on.
If we’re guessing what she said to me it looks like, ‘ no, we eat now ‘ with a little nod. I don’t detect rudeness in the interaction.