Is teal the new must-wear colour? Duchess Sophie just made a strong case with her satin dress at royal premiere

Winter isn't over but we're already thinking about spring styling and nothing brightens up a grey day quite like a pop of colour. This year's spring/summer fashion colour trends are more vibrant than the traditional pastels and Duchess Sophie just wore another shade that would be perfect for winter-into-spring. She was one of several royals who attended the Windsor Castle premiere of the new documentary, 'Finding Harmony: A King's Vision' on 28th January.

Instead of shopping for a new frock, Sophie re-wore her eye-catching satin Galvan Margot dress. The high-necked piece has three quarter length sleeves and skims the body, flowing down to midi-length. This year the brand has brought out the Margot in a fresh, melon-green but the Duchess of Edinburgh's version is a deep teal.

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In some lights it appears more of a true bottle green, though there's a definite blue undertone. Whichever way you look at it, though, this shade isn't something we often see Sophie wear. She's a big fan of pink, burgundy, forest green and pastel blue, so it's lovely to see her pushing her fashion boundaries by revisiting this 2020 frock.

Though I doubt the Duchess is particularly focused on emulating the big spring/summer fashion trends for this year, high shine fabrics are set to be big and satin is one of the most understated ways to get on board with this. The sheen feels inherently luxurious even though you can pick up satin pieces quite affordably and teal and other jewel-colours complement the finish best.

Although the Royal Family are known for colour-matching their accessories to their outfits, Sophie took a different styling approach for the premiere. Her Dior court shoes were black suede with a rose gold heel and she wore a rose-gold and diamond Chopard bracelet.

Because teal is a little darker than other popular hues for 2026 like red, feel-good greens and sunshine yellow, the contrast against black shoes doesn’t look too stark. It also works with tan, white and cream which makes it surprisingly versatile for such a bold shade.

I personally love teal with denim and a teal shirt or jumper would be a far more casual way to take inspiration from Duchess Sophie’s outfit. The last time she stepped out in this Galvan piece was in July 2022 at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and she went without a jacket and wore minimal jewellery to let the frock do all the talking.

The senior royal doesn’t seem to limit herself to wearing her teal satin dress in a specific season, so it’s perfectly possible that we could see it again in 2026.

If history were to repeat itself more exactly, Duchess Sophie could even bring it back for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.

It’s a timeless and striking outfit and she looked glamorous as she chatted with the array of stars who also attended the premiere, including Dame Judi Dench and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Royal Foundation and Prime Video documentary film will be released on Friday 6th February and will outline King Charles’s philosophy of harmony, as seen in the work of the RF.