Prince Edward's curious cat tie steals the show at King Charles' garden party

The sun was shining and scones were overflowing at the first Buckingham Palace Garden Party of the year hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla on Wednesday.

Accompanying the King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were also on hand to welcome some 8,000 guests to the ground of the royal residence in recognition of their service to local communities, charities, the military, and other organisations.

Looking resplendent in pastel pink, Duchess Sophie was a vision of elegance in the 'Fontaine' silk crepe dress from Suzannah London, pairing her candy-hued gown with a fabulous hat from Jane Taylor millinery.

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Her husband, Prince Edward, looked equally sharp in pinstripe trousers, a grey waistcoat and dapper black tailcoat.

It was the royal's striking tie that truly caught the attention of royal fans, however. The Duke chose to wear a unique cat print tie, emblazoned with several colourful felines.

Prince Edward's curious cat tie collection

It's not the first time Prince Edward has showed off his curious cat tie collection.

The father-of-two first debuted the same tie in a different colour on his wedding day in 1999, opting for a lilac silk tie printed with deep purple and yellow-hued cats.

Keeping up his purrfect appearance at more royal nuptials, the Duke wore another cat-printed accessory at his niece Zara Tindall's rehearsal dinner ahead of her wedding to Mike Tindall.

In 2018, the royal once again pulled out the Siamese cat silk ties for the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, opting for a romantic cream tie printed with yellow cats.

Prince Edward has never revealed the reason behind his peculiar penchant for feline-focused accessories, nor is it known whether the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have cats at their home in their 120-room mega mansion at Bagshot Park, Surrey.

He's not alone in his love for playful ties, however. Prince Edward's brother Charles also boasts a colourful collection of dinosaur-printed ties from Hermes, believed to have been a gift to him from his grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.