This month, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has been on an official visit to Japan which was ‘all about looking to the future’ and celebrating ‘the friendship between our two nations’, according to the Royal Family.
The important visit appears to have been a success, with The Duchess winning hearts as she met with members of the Japanese royal family, toured cultural and religious sites, spoke at international events and visited organisations making a difference in the country. Sophie was joined on the tour by her husband, Prince Edward (The King’s brother).
The couple’s first day began with a reception for the new Musubi Initiative, which means ‘connection’ in Japanese. It’s ‘designed to build relationships between people and businesses in the UK and Japan.’
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The aim is that this will help secure investment for programmes including ‘scholarships, sports and cultural exchanges, and women’s empowerment in business,’ explained the Royal Family’s website. One unexpected guest Sophie was introduced to was Hello Kitty, who is an official Musubi friendship ambassador.
The following day (20 September), the Duchess conducted a solo visit to an organisation supporting Ukrainian refugees in Japan, meeting volunteers as well as refugees and their families.
Sophie and Prince Edward were reunited for Expo 2025, Japan’s largest international event of the decade, on 22 September. The Duchess visited the Women’s Pavilion, ‘where she toured the exhibits and heard stories of female leaders, artists and activists,’ and ‘delivered opening remarks at a UN Women panel event on gender equality.’
For the visit, the Duchess of Edinburgh leaned into her trademark style with long sleeve, printed dresses falling to mid-length. Photographs summing up the couple’s time in Japan shared to the Royal Family’s official instagram show a range of dresses worn by Sophie. These include the Ahana Bright Blue Polka Dress, a contrasting print dress by Valentino Garavani and a Weekend by Max Mara green silk, which she paired with her favourite white Ralph Lauren jacket.
Sophie chose her frequently-worn Castañer espadrille wedges for multiple looks during the trip (shoes also favoured by the Princess of Wales). However she took them off to go barefoot during a visit in Koyasan; ‘a temple town which is one of the most spiritually significant sites in Japan’, to respect local custom.
