The Duchess of Edinburgh's solo trip to Canada is well underway, with the royal attending a ritzy reception and dinner at the Queen's Landing Hotel on Saturday night.
Duchess Sophie, 58, is representing the Crown during her Canada tour as Colonel-in-Chief of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, and Patron of Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals.
Looking effortlessly beautiful, the wife of Prince Edward epitomised regal glamour in a beaded Erdem dress to attend the event in Niagara on the Lake.
Complete with a scooped neckline, elegant belted waist, sheer sleeves and a metallic lace skirt, Duchess Sophie's cascading dress was elevated by the addition of two poignant brooches - a 'Service Before Self' poppy brooch and the Insignia of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment brooch.
© Tim Rooke/ShutterstockThe mother-of-two swept her icy blonde hair into a timeless chignon, revealing a sentimental diamond necklace glimmering on her décolletage. The Duchess was wearing an aptly chosen Diamond Maple Leaf Pendant by Maison Birch - one that has been in her personal collection since 2013.
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"Niagara on the Lake is so beautiful and so is the Duchess!" penned a royal fan on X, as another added: "How elegant does the Duchess look? Magnificent."
"I think it's lovely. Right level of sparkle and a super fit," chimed in a third fan on Instagram.
© Tim Rooke/ShutterstockIf you recognise the royal's breathtaking gown, the Duchess actually gave the dress its debut at the Royal Variety Performance.
Back in December 2022, Sophie and her husband Prince Edward made a glittering arrival at the Royal Albert Hall, representing the royal family as the evening's guests of honour.
© Getty ImagesThe Duchess of Edinburgh's appearance at the Royal Variety Performance was tainted by an encounter she had with comedian Frank Skinner, which made headlines at the time.
Frank revealed on his Absolute Radio Show that the royal had 'criticised' his performance of Three Lions with David Baddiel at the event. "I was gradually getting more ill, and more ill, as the day went on," he said. "I was struggling. We were singing Three Lions. So I croaked my way through the dress rehearsal.
"And then, on the night, we did the show. I made Dave sound like Mario Lanza on the night. It actually hurt to sing it. Four minutes of hurt never stopped me singing. I was in physical pain."
Frank then recalled meeting Duchess Sophie after his performance - where she told him not to give up his day job.
© Getty"I said, 'Was it that bad?' And she said, 'Well, you know, I could tell, you know, it's not what you do.'" Frank continued.
After his deflating encounter with the royal, Frank later confirmed to The Mirror that Duchess Sophie had sent him a handwritten note to apologise. Luckily, the duo seemed to iron out their misunderstanding.
"It was the most beautiful thing - handwritten and lovely. I was very pleased." He added: "It was a lovely thing, I love her now."
