The royal who totally ignored Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s wedding dress code rule - in spectacular style!

There’s a royal who totally ignored Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s wedding dress code rule and did so in spectacular style! 

• Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie are said to have set a more relaxed dress code for their 1999 wedding with no hats requested.
• Despite this apparent rule the Queen Mother went all out in a lilac hat that made a real statement as she stuck to her signature style.
• This royal news comes as the royal privilege Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex missed out on as King Charles made a clear statement. 

There’s nothing quite like a royal wedding and whether it’s Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big day at Windsor Castle, they have many memorable moments. The royals often tie the knot in certain venues and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are far from the only ones to marry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank said “I do” there too and it was here that Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie married in 1999.

They celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary on June 19 and even ended up returning to their venue. Duchess Sophie’s stunning A-line dress was the perfect choice for the Order of the Garter service there but their big day was a little less formal. Even so, there’s a royal who totally ignored Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s wedding dress code…

According to Express.co.uk the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh supposedly requested that guests shouldn’t wear hats at their wedding. Given how hats are a royal staple for family weddings, this might come as a surprise to many. But their more relaxed approach reflected other decisions made for their big day as they had no military or ceremonial elements. 

Despite their dress code, which is said to have also asked for evening wear, photos show that the Queen Mother totally ignored the reported "no hat" rule. She opted for a pastel blue coat dress with statement silver heels and a matching handbag, as well as a feather-adorned hat.

Her hat of choice was a soft shade of blue to match her dress and given several of the late Queen Elizabeth's brooches once belonged to her, it's perhaps no surprise that the Queen Mother wore a statement brooch and pearl necklace too. She not only ignored Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s wedding dress code, but did so spectacularly with such an the eye-catching, embellished design that complimented her overall look. 

The Queen Mother was rarely seen without a hat and it perhaps makes sense that she didn’t want to stray from her signature style. In contrast, Queen Elizabeth moved away from her own love of hats and bent the fashion rules slightly by wearing a more low-key lilac fascinator-style headpiece.

Princess Anne did the same and had a subtle green feather adornment in her hair. But Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie probably wouldn’t have minded about the Queen Mother going all out for their big day, especially as so many other royals like Zara Tindall didn’t wear hats.

The couple’s 24th wedding anniversary was spent quite publicly this year given it was also the day of the Order of the Garter service, however Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie likely would’ve marked the occasion in private after their responsibilities were over.