Duchess of Edinburgh stuns in a £280 patterned robe

The Duchess of Edinburgh stunned in a chic patterned dress as she joined her husband at Wembley Park Theatre for a charity event today. 

Sophie, 59, was joined by Prince Edward, 60, for a special performance of ‘Starlight Express’ in support of The Orpheus Centre.

It is a disability charity and college in Surrey for young disabled adults to learn and develop through the arts, of which Prince Edward is a patron.

The mother-of-two looked radiant as she stepped out in a £280 silk gold ‘Gelato Dress’ from Spanish brand Matelier which featured a brown swirled pattern. 

The Duchess oozed elegance in the floaty maxi dress, which showed off her slender figure. 

She paired this with a simple £110 ‘Vintage Peacock’ black coin purse from the same brand and a pair of £167 small earrings from Giulia Barela.

For footwear, Sophie sported her £575 ‘champagne’ wedge sandals from Jimmy Choo, which she has owned since 2022. 

She pinned her golden locks back into a stylish low bun to show off the full extent of her chic ensemble and opted for glowy, natural makeup. 

Her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, looked dapper in a black blazer with gold button detailing, grey suit trousers, a crisp white shirt, polished shoes and a navy patterned tie. 

The beaming couple looked in high spirits as they posed next to each other for the cameras at the event. 

The royal duo were joined by Sir Richard Stilgoe, CEO of The Orpheus Centre and a songwriter and lyricist who has collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Peter Skellern. 

This comes after the Duchess of Edinburgh appeared to be the latest royal to wear a friendship bracelet as she cheered on Team GB in Paris on Monday. 

Sophie put on an animated display as she cheered from the stands after the British team claimed gold on day ten of the Paris Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena.

Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant set a new world record of 45.186 as they claimed victory over New Zealand. 

The royal looked summery in a purple floral gown – and was tellingly wearing a burgundy and gold beaded bracelet on her wrist. 

Princess Charlotte, Prince George and even King Charles have all been spotted wearing the trinkets over the past few months, and Sophie seems to be the latest member of the royal family to join in the trend. 

Charles, 75, was spotted wearing what appeared to be a ‘friendship bracelet’ made up of yellow and red thread during a visit to the Channel Islands with Queen Camilla last month.

It seemed to be similar to one sported by His Majesty’s granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, nine, when she attended the Wimbledon final just weeks earlier with her mother, the Princess of Wales.

Dressed in a navy polka dot frock, Charlotte wore two of the threaded bracelets, one featuring various shades of pink and another boasting green, blue and pink fabric.

Many royal fans were quick to speculate that Charles’s own bracelet was a gift from his granddaughter. 

The King was also pictured wearing the bracelet in Jersey with Queen Camilla, as well as during his visit to the Senedd in Cardiff to mark its 25th anniversary on July 11. 

Meanwhile eagle-eyed royal fans noticed a playful addition to Prince George’s otherwise formal ensemble in his 11th birthday portrait. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a stunning black and white portrait, taken by Kate, to mark his special day and in the image, a bracelet can clearly be seen above the cuff of his shirt on his left wrist. He wore it again to the Euros final with Prince William. 

Like her husband, Queen Camilla was also spotted wearing a bracelet on the Channel Islands visit. 

Hers was the closest in style to those worn by Swifties, and was personalised with beads reading: ‘You’re a bright star’. 

Charlotte and George may well have been inspired by attending Taylor Swift’s concert in June with Prince William at Wembley Stadium. 

The singer kickstarted the friendship bracelet craze at her concerts, with fans making them by the dozen to trade with each other in the audience. 

Since then, the royal family have been spotted wearing their own take on the bracelets – with Sophie the latest member to join in. 

It’s another sign that Sophie has become an integral member of the family, and seems to be working her way closer and closer to King Charles’s inner circle. 

Sophie has been working her way up the ranks in The Firm – and is often dubbed the late Queen’s ‘favourite’ royal. 

From attending glittering banquets to standing next to Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, her promoted status is made known in official royal events and engagements.

The opportunity has risen after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were leaving the royal family for a life in Montecito, California. 

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are now among the few working royals under the age of 70 (alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales). 

Swifties first started making the bracelets due to a lyric in fan-favourite You’re On Your Own Kid from the singer’s album Midnights: ‘So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid.’ 

Fans have been trading beaded friendship bracelets, often bearing phrases from her lyrics. 

Taylor’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, even admitted he once put his number on his bracelet to catch her eye before they began dating.  

The royal versions are not believed to be exactly the same as those made by fans attending Taylor’s concerts. 

The bracelets swapped by Swifties tend to feature beads with lettering spelling our lyrics and song names, while Charlotte, George and Charles’ accessories are made from plain coloured thread.