The Duchess of Edinburgh marked the first anniversary of the death of her late mother-in-law, the Queen, with a pastime they both enjoyed.
Sophie, 57, appeared relaxed on the emotional day as she attended the Cornbury House International Trials in Oxfordshire.
Prince Edward’s wife was very close to Queen Elizabeth II and was known as one of her closest confidantes.
The pair formed a close bond after losing her own mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, to stomach cancer in 2005 at the age of 71, when her daughter Lady Louise Windsor was just two.
But today the Duchess looked positive as she enjoyed the horse trials, and was beaming as she arrived at the event in the sunshine.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (pictured), marked the first anniversary of her mother-in-law’s death with a pastime they both enjoyed: horse competitions
The Duchess wore a sophisticated pinstripe shirt dress with a flowing silhouette, perfect for today’s warm weather.
She accessorized the outfit with a summery pair of nude espadrilles with ballet-style laces around the ankles.
Sophie approached the emotional day with a smile on her face as she was photographed with boyfriend Mark Foster Brown.
The mother-of-two also enjoyed the opportunity to meet leading event rider, Harry Meade.
She spent the day with Cornbury House president David Howden and his wife Fiona.
Sophie took part in the Cornbury House Trials just one day after her niece by marriage, Zara Tindall, 42, took part in the cross-country portion of the competition.
The royal family is known for its love of horses, especially the late Queen.
In recent years, Sophie, who has been a rock for the Queen, has taken up horse riding as a hobby to bond with the Queen.
A friend said in 2021: ‘Sophie has set herself a series of tasks. She has learned to drive well and now rides with the Queen at least once a week.
“She took up horse-drawn carriages to be close to Philip,” they added.
Sophie has previously spoken openly about her grief, having previously spoken about a tragic miscarriage she suffered in 2001.
Meanwhile, Sophie lost her mother in 2005. The Duchess opened up about her mother’s death last year during a speech to members of the Women’s Institute at their annual meeting in June 2021.
She said of her other that she “missed her very much and there are times when I hear music she loved or I do something I know she would have liked to hear, which makes her early departure very difficult.”
“She has missed so much, and I am especially sad that she did not get to see my children grow up or see how my work has grown and developed,” she added.
“She would have loved me talking to you today,” she added.
Sophie (pictured right) was photographed spending the day with Fiona Howden (pictured left), wife of Cornbury House President David Howden
The royal family, who developed a close bond with the late Queen, was photographed with Mark Foster Brown (pictured right)
At the time of Mrs Rhys-Jones’ death, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: ‘The Countess had a very close relationship with her mother and this is a very sad time.
“She is comforted by her husband, but she is deeply saddened.”
After her mother’s death, Sophie grew close to the Queen, whom she occasionally called “Mum”, including at a Diamond Jubilee Trust event at Buckingham Palace in 2019.
In recent years, former aides have previously described the Queen’s relationship with Sophie as “like mother and daughter”, adding: “There is a lot of love and mutual respect between them.”
And in 2021, a tearful Duchess described the Queen as “amazing” as she and her husband Prince Edward comforted Her Majesty at Windsor Castle following the death of her husband Prince Philip.
Prince Edward and Sophie were the first to visit the grieving monarch after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, and as they left the castle, Sophie was visibly upset.
At the time she was described as one of a group of four who supported the monarch.
“Sophie is like another Queen’s daughter, they are so close,” a royal source said. “She is trusted and trusted like few others.”
And in June 2021, royal expert Duncan Larcombe told The Sun: “Sophie has emerged as the Queen’s unlikely ‘rock’ as the monarch adjusts to life without Prince Philip.”
“According to sources, Prince Edward’s wife has made it her personal mission to ensure Her Majesty has the full support of the family.
‘Since the Duke’s death in April, Sophie has driven the 10 miles from her home in Bagshot Park to Windsor Castle every few days and most weekends to spend social time with Her Majesty.’
Sophie took part in the Cornbury House Trials just one day after her niece by marriage, Zara Tindall, 42, took part in the cross-country portion of the competition
The mother-of-two also enjoyed the opportunity to meet leading event rider, Harry Meade (far left).
For the days when she couldn’t see the Queen in person, the Duchess “made it a point to call her mother-in-law at least once a day.”
Last year, the Duchess was openly emotional as she publicly mourned the Queen.
Sophie looked very glum as she arrived at Balmoral with the Duke of Cambridge and Cornwall, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.
Meanwhile, she was photographed crying at the funeral last September, along with other members of the royal family.
Sophie was struck by tragedy early in her marriage to Prince Edward when she suffered a miscarriage in 2001 due to an ectopic pregnancy.
Speaking to the press as his wife recovered in hospital at the time, Prince Edward said: ‘It’s obviously a very traumatic time and my wife has… It’s the most painful thing anyone can go through.
‘It’s quite a traumatic experience. As the pain decreases, the relief will increase. “I would like to express my gratitude to the entire medical team who did a fantastic job, responded so quickly and handled things so professionally,” he added.
Sophie and Prince Edward welcomed their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, now 19, in 2003, and their son James Viscount Severn, 15, in 2007.