Duchess Sophie touched down in Japan with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, for five days of engagements designed to celebrate the breadth and depth of the relationship between the UK and Japan – and she is already turning heads with her collection of patterned ensembles. From meetings with their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, to front row seats at a traditional sumo wrestling event, the Duchess has been dressed to impress, and her wardrobe choices are only improving as the tour rolls on through the country’s capital and Osaka.
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Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward met with Japanese royals in Tokyo
On the second day of the visit, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh met with the Emperor and Empress of Japan in Tokyo to reaffirm ties between households and celebrate the UK-Japan relationship. Sophie, 60, dazzled in a floral-inspired satin dress that fell to her ankles and featured short sleeves. The dress’s turquoise blue colour contrasted beautifully with its rose detail that covered the garment’s material.
Why the state visit was a royal masterclass
It’s been a week of high stakes diplomacy, showstopping glamour and spectacular pageantry, and HELLO! royal editor Emily Nash was lucky enough to watch some of it up close (in case you missed it, here’s her video report from Windsor on day 1).
Over on The HELLO! Royal Club, Emily has just posted her top three takeaways from a week when the worlds of royalty and politics collided in unforgettable fashion. Click the button below to read the post.
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Sophie wore a turquoise blue dress for the occasion in the Imperial Palace
Filling the skirt and snaking its way towards the button-down chest plate of the dress, the blush pink roses were attached to brown thorny branches that added to the dramatic style of Sophie’s outfit. Flashes of green leaves dispersed throughout the bramble offered some light relief from the dark colours of the patterns and elevated the royal’s ensemble.
The dress was cinched in at the waist with a matching belt that fastened at the front of the outfit with a buckle in the same blue as the rest of the garment. The mother of two finished off her look with a bright cream simple envelope clutch bag and a pair of matching satin kitten heeled shoes. She styled her blonde hair in a half-updo and accessorised with a smattering of diamond jewellery, including earrings and a necklace.
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Duchess Sophie met with a sumo wrestler during her royal visit to Japan
A wardrobe fit for Japan
Elsewhere, Prince Edward’s wife wowed in another bluish-hued dress as she took in some of the national sport. At the National Sumo Arena, the Duchess and her husband were offered the chance to see the wrestlers in action ahead of the return of the Grand Sumo Tournament to the UK in October. They were pictured meeting one of the wrestlers and sitting in the arena with binoculars as they enjoyed a show below the box.
For this occasion, Sophie opted for a detailed spotted long silk dress in a deep navy colour. This time, the dress featured long sleeves that cuffed at her wrists and boasted a high neckline. Mismatching patterns, the dress’s hem was covered in white polka dots while the body was splattered with a larger oval detailing in gold. On her feet, she wore a similar pair of cream kitten heels in patent leather.
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The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh took part in a tree planting ceremony in the garden of the Akasaka State Guest House
The Duchess wore the same ensemble for a tree planting ceremony in the garden of the Akasaka State Guest House. Sophie and her spouse helped plant an oak sapling that had been cultivated from a seed of the original tree Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II planted during a State Visit in May 1975.
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