How Sophie Wessex's outfit paid subtle tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's love of nature

Sophie, Countess of Wessex wore a beautiful embroidered black coat dress to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

• The Countess of Wessex's calf-length dress was respectful and elegant.
• The dress designer revealed there was a secret hidden meaning embroidered into the outfit.
• in other royal news, The significance and sweet meaning behind the sustainable wreath of flowers on Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at the State Funeral.

The Queen's funeral took place on Monday, September 19. The event was a celebration of the Queen's life and a time to grieve the loss of Her Majesty - viewed by millions of people across the world. 

Sophie, the countess of Wessex, and wife of the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, was in attendance. Photographed close to the Princess of Wales, the Queen consort, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte, she wore an eye-catching coat dress and elegant hat.

Like other members of the extended Royal Family, the countess of Wessex's all-black outfit reflected the somber tone of the day. 

It was revealed by the designer of the dress that the delicate embroidery on the front of the gown depicts lily of the valley flowers. These particular flowers have a particular significance as they are known to be one of the Queen's favorites.

"The coat dress was embroidered with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's favourite flowers, Lily of the Valley," Suzannah Crabb the designer of the gown told the Evening Standard (opens in new tab). "They are intertwined with the flowers from within Her Majesty’s wedding bouquet."

Lily of the valley flowers appeared not only in the Queen's wedding bouquet but were also featured in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation bouquet in 1953 and were often part of the floral displays on show in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. 

In the Victorian era, lily of the valley symbolized a 'return to happiness,' they were also seen as an emblem of purity and motherhood. This added to the deeper meaning behind the flowers that have been so closely associated with the Queen during her lifetime.

Sophie was not the only royal to pay a subtle tribute to the Queen with her outfit. Princess Charlotte had sweet tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during the funeral service as on her coat's lapel as she wore a tiny silver horseshoe brooch. This was symbolic of the Queen's love of horses, a passion that is also shared by the Princess.