Duchess of Edinburgh compared to ‘down-to-earth’ Princess Anne for ‘graciously’ accepting flowers from royal fan who waited outside a restaurant for her in the rain
The Duchess of Edinburgh won praise after a video showed her graciously accepting a bouquet from a royal fan waiting in the rain as Sophie left a London restaurant.
Sophie, 61, rushed to greet the woman, who was outside the Trinity restaurant in Clapham Common, and exclaimed: ‘You’re busy getting wet out here!’
Despite the late hour, Sophie stopped to chat with her fan, who said her name is Camila ‘with one L’, and thanked her for the tulips.
Sophie was attending a dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant as patron of the National Autistic Society on February 12. She has held the role since 2003.
For the occasion, Sophie repurposed her £1,035 navy and gold Etro dress that she paired with a black blazer and Jimmy Choo pumps.
She picked a navy clutch from Beauchamps of London – one of the Duchess’s favourite brands – and wore her blonde hair in a chic low ponytail.
The royal fan told Sophie ‘I hope you had a lovely evening’ in the ‘darling’ clip, before the Duchess replied: ‘It’s a very nice restaurant. I’ve never been before.’
The minute-long video was later shared on Facebook, as social media users said the Duchess has really ‘blossomed into her role’.
One person compared Sophie to ‘down-to-earth’ Princess Anne, while another said Prince Edward and his wife are ‘the best representatives’ the Royal Family could ask for.
Still others shared their own experiences of meeting Sophie, with one Facebook user claiming that the Duchess helped her pick a pair of ballet flats at a shop on King’s Road in Chelsea.