Duchess Sophie's unexpected feathered wedding guest look before Prince Edward nuptials

Duchess Sophie is always a picture of poise and grace in an array of stylish outfits at any public engagement. But throwing it back to the mid-1990s, the then-Sophie Rhys-Jones was rocking a totally different aesthetic.

Discovering a throwback photo of the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, had us realising how much her style has evolved over the years, especially when it comes to wedding guest looks.

The former Countess of Wessex was seen arriving at the wedding of TV reporter and former flame of Prince Edward, Anastasia Cooke, at the church of Our Most Holy Redeemer and St Thomas Moore in Chelsea in 1994.

The Duchess upped her sartorial game by wearing an unexpected high-shine metallic cropped jacket with a mosaic print and Queen Anne neckline that had covered buttons down the front which she she wore done up.

The royal paired the jacket with a simple black skirt but continued with the 'more is more' aesthetic adding a pair of black gloves that had fur around the cuffs. She added a brown and ivory beaded necklace that looked nothing like the dainty silver pendants she often wears today.

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The real star of the show was her unmissable hat. The royal opted for a large saucer-shaped black hat that was covered in heaps of black feathers for the ultimate statement. Contrastingly, her makeup was kept pared back with a hint of rosy lipstick.

Prince Edward's then-girlfriend was also seen by his side at another wedding in that same year. In April, the Edinburghs attended the wedding of her friend Lord Ivor Mountbatten. His daughter Alexandra became Sophie's goddaughter upon her birth in 1998.

Sophie was seen in an ultra-trendy black thigh-split straight-cut midi skirt which was worn with a pair of black sheer stockings and black patent heels.

The Duchess styled the gorgeous skirt with an unusual top-half garment. The mother-of-two opted for a crimson red textured jacket in a paisley embroidered fabric that buttoned up the front and had a mandarin collar.

1994 was the year of the wedding guest look for Sophie who attended a third wedding in July - the nuptials of Princess Margaret's daughter Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones to Daniel Chatto.

Sophie rocked a totally different look, opting for an icy blue skirt suit with an unusual dipped hem blazer with white cuffs and lapels. She paired the co-ord with a pair of white stilettos fit for a bride and an unexpected touch - a crisp white lace-adorned top hat.

She rounded off the look with a pair of statement pearl earrings, whilst Prince Edward looked classically smart in a tailsuit with an unusual yellow patterned tie.

Nowadays, the Duchess goes for a more classically feminine look. She proved her sartorial prowess as a guest at Flora Alexandra Ogilvy and Timothy Vesterberg's marriage blessing at St James's Piccadilly in 2021 where she wore a rosy pink midi dress with a soft pink lace and feather-adorned fascinator, a pair of nude heels, and a clutch with raffia flowers that tied the entire look together.

DISCOVER: Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward share personal detail in special letter close to their hearts 

Coincidentally, the Duke of Edinburgh recycled that exact yellow tie look from 1994.

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