Sophie Wessex appeared upbeat this morning as she arrived with her husband Prince Edward and their daughter Lady Louise for the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
The Countess cut an elegant figure as she inspected a driving obstacle with her family, after the Queen attended the show on Friday – her first public appearance since missing the State Opening of Parliament.
Mother-of-two Sophie opted to wear a smart, dark grey blazer, which she paired with a long brown skirt and a white printed blouse for the busy day.
The Countess, who recently returned from a trip to the Channel Islands to mark the Queen’s Jubilee, swept her hair into a low ponytail for the occasion.
She opted for neutral makeup, and perched a pair of sunglasses on her head in anticipation of the warm weather.
Today is the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, one of the Queen’s favourite events of the year.
Sophie Wessex appeared upbeat this morning as she arrived with her husband Prince Edward and their daughter Lady Louise for the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show
The Countess cut an elegant figure as she inspected a driving obstacle with her family, after the Queen attended the show on Friday – her first public appearance since missing the State Opening of Parliament
Mother-of-two Sophie opted to wear a smart, dark grey blazer, which she paired with a long brown skirt and a white printed blouse for the busy day
Her Majesty attended the festivities herself on Friday, despite ongoing mobility problems which saw her miss the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday.
The Queen, 96, was clapped and cheered as she arrived in her Range Rover and wound down her window to chat animatedly to fellow festival-goers having never missed the event in the past 79 years.
The Royal Windsor Horse Show crowds looked equally thrilled to see her at the event also beloved by her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who died last April at the age of 99.
The Wessexes were also in attendance on Friday, with Sophie seen taking photographs of her daughter Lady Louise as she drove the Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage and led the Fell Pony Society centenary parade.
Sophie was accompanied by her 18-year-old daughter Lady Louise, who dressed in a blue patterned blouse and pale trousers
The Countess, who recently returned from a trip to the Channel Islands to mark the Queen’s Jubilee, swept her hair into a low ponytail for the occasion
Today is the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, one of the Queen’s favourite events of the year
Prince Edward smiles as he walks around the site of the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Saturday
Saturday is the final day of the four-day Royal Windsor Horse Show, which is held annually in Berkshire
Her Majesty attended the festivities herself on Friday, despite ongoing mobility problems which saw her miss the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday
The monarch took her seat in the stands at the event alongside Prince Edward, Lady Brabourne and Sophie on Friday
The Wessexes were also in attendance on Friday, with Sophie seen taking photographs of her daughter Lady Louise as she drove the Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage and led the Fell Pony Society centenary parade
Louise lives with her parents, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, and her younger brother James, Viscount Severn at Bagshot Park, in Surrey, just miles from Windsor.
It is believed the young royal, who has competed in carriage-driving competitions, inherited her interest in carriage driving from the Duke of Edinburgh, who was instrumental in helping to establish carriage driving as a sport in Britain.
And Louise is continuing to follow in his footsteps: earlier this month, she competed in the British Indoor Carriage Driving Championships.
Lady Louise is pictured carriage driving at The Royal Windsor Horse Show, which is said to be the Queen’s favourite event
The 18-year-old royal showed off her impressive equestrian skills while driving the Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage to lead the Fell Pony Society centenary parade on Friday
The Queen sits with Prince Edward and Sophie as she attends her first public engagement since missing the Queen’s Speech
Carriage driving was one of Prince Philip’s favourite past-times since the 1970s, and he raced carriages near Norfolk before going on to represent Britain at several world and European championships.
In May 2017, Prince Philip spoke about how he took up carriage driving when he stopped playing polo at the age of 50.
He said: ‘I was looking round to see what next, I didn’t know what there was available. And I suddenly thought, well, we’ve got horses and carriages so why don’t I have a go.
‘So I borrowed four horses from the stables in London, took them to Norfolk and practised and thought – why not?’
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