Duchess Sophie flies the flag for moody florals as a striking alternative to spring pastels

Floral prints feature in so many of my spring outfit ideas, but although I’m usually drawn to pastel tones, this might be about to change. The Duchess of Edinburgh went bold on 30th April with a navy dress covered with vibrant floral detailing and I have to admit it’s inspired me.

She showed that darker floral dresses are just as beautiful and can even be more striking. As a champion of some of the best British clothing brands, I wasn’t surprised to see her step out in the London sunshine wearing a piece from one of her favourites - Beulah London.

Duchess Sophie attended a church service for the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association and this midi dress struck a good balance between being formal and summery. It had a modest round neckline, elasticated, puffed sleeves and fell to just above her ankles.

Shop Dark Floral Dresses

This is the £650 Sienna Floral Bouquet Dress and it’s available for pre-order now in the navy colourway that the royal wore. It’s made from silk crepe de chine and is so timeless and elegant that it would make one of the best wedding guest dresses if you want to invest in a luxury option.

The navy background colour of Duchess Sophie’s dress is a gorgeous option when you don’t want to wear black and the deeper tone made the orange, pink and red floral print really pop.

They cascaded all over, entwined with green leaves and framed by matching emerald stripes that sectioned them off, almost like a painting. Even if you aren’t a fan of navy, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s dress is worth taking note of when it comes to florals for spring.

Shop More Dark Florals

I particularly love green and so I’m going to be keeping an eye out for floral pieces with a deep green background tone this season. Burgundy, charcoal grey, rich purple, magenta and black are lovely, deeper alternatives to pastels too.

A darker, moodier colour palette can enhance floral motifs and so many of the flowers we see around us are bright rather than pastel-hued. If you often find yourself wondering what to wear with a darker dress then I have several suggestions.

Duchess Sophie went for beige court shoes and neutral shoes like hers work well as they leave the focus on the dress. Beige ballet flats, loafers or espadrilles would also be pretty and there’s also nothing wrong with going for your best white trainers either.

They will be more of a stark colour contrast but they bring a relaxed feel that can make a floral dress feel more daytime-appropriate. You can also pick out footwear that ties into either the background tone of the dress or the pattern on it.

The Duchess of Edinburgh took a pared-back approach for the church service and matched her clutch bag to her beige shoes. She accessorised with a pale pink hat with a flower-like frill on the top and glimmering gold jewellery.

Like the Princess of Wales, the King’s sister-in-law regularly re-wears her favourite outfits. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing this dress again before the end of summer.