When King Charles bestowed upon Prince Edward and Sophie the revived titles of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, it also marked the beginning of a new sartorial chapter for the mother-of-two.
The former PR executive, 60, who once insisted she has ‘no interest in fashion’, has slowly been curating a wardrobe full of pieces that exude a new sense of intent.
Royal watchers have since compared Sophie’s transformation to the well-documented fashion trajectory of ‘eternal influencer’ Kate Middleton, who recently topped British Vogue’s inaugural ‘best dressed’ list.
‘There was a time when Sophie dressed purely for function,’ celebrity stylist Clare Chambers told the Daily Mail. ‘It wasn’t about style, it was about getting the job done.’
This is why her recent transformation, which appears to have been inspired by the Princess of Wales’ own style journey.
‘One way to assert her new position as Duchess was to carefully choose an image that articulates the person she is now, and the Princess of Wales is the perfect model of this.’
When Kate first entered the royal fold, she was heralded as the ‘high street duchess’, pairing Whistles and Reiss with the occasional Alexander McQueen.
But as her role grew, so too did her reliance on couture and custom-made pieces as the future Queen went from relatable to regal.
Mirroring Kate’s Christmas Day look just a year later, Sophie wrapped up in a Claire Mischevani khaki coat that had the same midi hem and high neck as the Alexander McQueen version that Kate wore the year before
It appears Sophie has taken a leaf out of Kate’s style book by recreating some of her most iconic looks over the years.
‘It is clear that Kate is the style mentor to Sophie and the benchmark for what to wear,’ explained Ms Chambers.
‘What is interesting is that the outfits which have been copied are the looks that have been praised in the press. There is definitely a pattern of which styles have been recreated.
‘Sophie has taken the most popular of Kate’s looks as a blueprint of what is liked, from the colour to the shape and style,’ she continued.
From this, she appears to have created a roadmap of what works in each environment, using that as a pillar for her fashion choices.
‘If you look at them side by side, there are moments where Sophie feels like Kate’s sartorial sister,’ Ms Chambers observed.
Take the 2023 Sandringham Christmas walkabout, when Sophie appeared in a khaki Claire Mischevani coat that bore an uncanny resemblance to the military-inspired Alexander McQueen one Kate had worn the previous year.
The same year, Sophie wore a cream Jane Taylor headpiece when she attended the Commonwealth Day service in what was a clear nod to Kate.
The previous year on Anzac Day, the Princess of Wales had worn a monochrome ensemble topped with a very similar white and black headpiece, instantly iconic, instantly Kate.
The newly appointed Duchess of Edinburgh attended the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service in an elegant Proenza Schouler white coat and matching Jane Taylor headpiece with black bow. There was a sense of déjà vu as an almost identical look was worn by Kate the year before to the Anzac Day service
Attending a parade at Sandhurst in April this year, Sophie dressed in a long, duck egg blue belted Emilia Wickstead coat which was very reminiscent of Kate’s favourite Alexander McQueen style which she wore back in 2019 for the naming ceremony of the RSS Sir David Attenborough
Sophie took inspiration from Kate’s staple workwear piece when she wore a Victoria Beckham emerald green two-piece to Walton Charity. Kate’s very similar suit was by Burberry and worn the year before to visit Textile Manufacturers in Leeds.
The trend continued in 2024 when Sophie took inspiration from Kate’s workwear wardrobe and wore a Victoria Beckham emerald green two-piece to Walton Charity.
Kate had previously worn a nearly identical Burberry suit in 2023 when she visited textile manufacturers in Leeds.
And this year, Sophie was seen wearing a long, blue Emilia Wickstead coat at a parade in Sandhurst reminiscent of the Alexander McQueen jacket Kate wore to the 2019 naming ceremony of the RSS Sir David Attenborough.
These visual echoes suggest Sophie is intentionally following Kate’s lead as Ms Chambers said the Duchess’s looks feel ‘increasingly curated’.
‘Almost like she’s building a wardrobe that sits neatly beside Kate’s without overshadowing it.’
When Kate entered royal life, her high-street-heavy wardrobe won public affection, but it also drew criticism for being too accessible and, often, inconsistent.
Over time, Kate built a wardrobe that conveyed stability, heritage and quiet luxury instead as her designed ensembles communicated gravitas in a way the high street simply could not.
It appears that Sophie has learned from Kate’s missteps, as Ms Chambers noted her move away from affordable, high-street brands has been swift and decisive.
Where Kate took years to phase out her early affordability, Sophie seems to have leapt straight into the designer sphere, sidestepping the fashion learning curve Kate endured under intense scrutiny.
To attend the opening of the Domaine Evremond Winery in September 2024, Sophie opted for a Vince blazer which had the same tailoring as the Catherine Walker blazer Kate wore in February 2022. The two jackets also featured a matching blue stripe woven into the plaid print
Ms Chambers explained that the shift feels strategic.
‘Sophie knows the value of looking polished at this level. Where Kate had to grow into the role, Sophie has been watching from the sidelines, taking notes and keeping a very close eye on what works.’
The cohesion between them is not merely flattering; it is symbolic.
If Kate is the monarchy’s future queen and fashion compass, Sophie is the steady, seasoned partner helping translate that aesthetic across the institution – and in doing so, she has become one of the royal family’s most quietly compelling style stories.
