Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh is radiant at Order of the Garter

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh certainly made for a radiant guest as she attended the ancient Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday. 

The royal, 59, stunned in a blissful colour combination of cream, pink and peach as she arrived at the traditional service held at St George’s Chapel. 

Sophie joined other senior royals, including the King and Queen and Prince William, at the ceremony commemorating the ancient Order Of The Garter. 

The stylish royal donned the Zimmermann matchmaker floral midi dress, which featured an intricate patterned designed of pink leaves and flowers. 

She paired the look with a gorgeous matching hat from Jane Taylor, worn previously at the Trooping of the Colour in 2022 and a garden party last year. 

Garter Day sees Ladies and Knights of the Order of the Garter – the country’s oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry – process down the hill from the Berkshire castle’s State Apartments to St George’s Chapel, dressed in white plumed hats and dark blue velvet robes, watched by crowds of onlookers. 

Sophie was amongst them as composed as ever as she watched the royal procession – including the King, Queen, Prince William and her husband Prince Edward pass by. 

Prince Edward sweetly acknowledged his wife as the celebration passed her outside the chapel. 

Other royals at the traditional celebration commemorating the ancient Order of the Garter included Princess Anne and the Duchess of Gloucester. 

The King’s appearance comes just two days after the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London where he was joined by fellow cancer patient the Princess of Wales .

Queues lasting more than two hours had built up outside the castle this morning, with visitors bringing camping chairs as they prepared for a long wait to get in. 

While the main castle was shut to the public today, people queued to get a glimpse of those attending the service from 3pm at St George’s Chapel within the grounds.

The installation of new Companions of the Order – including composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber who has been made a Knight Companion – will take place during the service.

Theatre impresario Lord Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals include The Phantom Of The Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, will also attend a private investiture in the castle’s Garter Throne Room earlier in the day.

Also being invested will be the Duchess of Gloucester as a Royal Lady of the Garter, as well as Lord Kakkar, emeritus professor of surgery at University College London and Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach, who have both been made Knight Companions.

Founded in 1348 by Edward III, the Garter is awarded by the sovereign for outstanding public service and achievement.

After the General Election was called, Buckingham Palace said the royal family would postpone engagements ‘which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign’ but it was not a blanket ban and visits would be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Last Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that Baroness Manningham-Buller, the former director general of MI5, had been named as the Order of the Garter’s new Chancellor.

Lady Manningham-Buller, who served for more than 30 years with the intelligence service including five years as its director general, was appointed to the role by the King.

The decision is the King’s gift, made without consulting ministers, and from today the peer becomes the first woman to hold the post since the office’s inception in 1475, and will succeed the Duke of Abercorn, retiring after 12 years.

Lady Manningham-Buller sits as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and was appointed a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014, after she retired from MI5 seven years earlier.

The main focus of her work with MI5 was counter-terrorism, both international and domestic, and during her tenure terrorists launched the July 7 bombings in London and terrorism risk assessments were made public. 

Charles also appointed Lord Ashton of Hyde, a former Conservative chief whip in the Lords, to the largely ceremonial role of Master of the Horse.

The holder in centuries past was responsible for the sovereign’s horses, coaches and travel arrangements and today is titular head of the Royal Mews, which looks after royal vehicles such as state Bentleys and carriages.

Lord Ashton will replace the serving Master of the Horse, Lord de Mauley, whose final major duty was to ride in Trooping the Colour ceremony as holders of the post are present when the Royal Mews supports state occasions.