Duchess Sophie ‘bends' royal protocol with bold move

The Duchess of Edinburgh is a valuable member of the royal family, who has been entrusted with crucial missions at the behest of the Palace.

King Charles has assigned her as his representative on several diplomatic visits, where Sophie earnestly performed her duties and delivered the message of the monarch. Royal sources have dubbed her as loyal to the Crown and it rings true in her public appearances as well.

Given her responsibilities, it in understood that she is well-versed with royal protocols and hardly ever fails to uphold them. However, there was one moment where fans were uncertain if Sophie was skirting around the rules a little bit during her visit to Portugal.

Prince Edward and Sophie are currently on a three-day visit to strengthen UK ties with the country. To wrap the first day, Sophie stepped out in a stunning raspberry red Matelier dress for a garden party at the residence of the UK Ambassador in Lisbon.

The women in the royal family, especially the senior working members, often opt for a more formal and conservative ensemble for engagements. There are hardly ever any bold dresses but even then, they are often paired with some coverage.

Sophie surprised attendees with a striking backless number, a very rare moment of the royal showing skin, yet maintaining her elegant aura. It sparked the query whether Sophie had overstepped a protocol.

In truth, there is no specific restriction over wearing a backless dress but royals tend to stick to modest dressing as part of an unwritten rule. However, Sophie did dismiss it with a daring move.