Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, appeared solemn and dressed in black for her first public engagement after it was announced that Katharine, Duchess of Kent, had died at the age of 92.
The 60-year-old royal, who is on a four-day visit to Canada, attended a pre-arranged engagement at Spruce Meadows, a multi-purpose sports facility near Calgary, Alberta. Sophie arrived in Canada on Thursday night, before news of the Duchess of Kent’s death was reported on Friday morning, and was the first member of the royal family to be seen publicly following the announcement.
At the event, Sophie wore a simple shirtdress by Gabriela Hearst with a black tie at the waist and opted for pared-back jewellery, including Adore earrings. She was also seen wearing brown Stella McCartney sunglasses at times, which partially shielded her expression as she carried out her duties.
Officials described the engagement as pre-planned. Sophie carried out her public duties in Calgary while continuing the itinerary of her official visit to Canada.
Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, was the wife of the late Queen’s cousin and had been the oldest member of the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Reports noted that senior royals customarily have black mourning attire available when travelling so they can respond to news of bereavement while away from the United Kingdom.
Sophie, who is married to Prince Edward, has frequently represented the royal family at domestic and international engagements. Her appearance in mourning attire reflected the immediate formal response to the announcement of Katharine’s death, as the royal household and the public awaited further official statements and arrangements from Buckingham Palace and related offices.
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s visit to Canada is scheduled to continue over the coming days with additional engagements on her four-day itinerary, and Buckingham Palace is expected to provide further details about memorial arrangements in due course.