Prince William and His Aunt Sophie Share Touching Moment on Palace Balcony at Trooping the Colour

The Duchess of Edinburgh had a kind move towards her nephew as the festivities came to a close

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh had a warm gesture towards her nephew Prince William as Trooping the Colour came to a close.

On June 15, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, placed her hand on the heir to the throne’s back in a supportive gesture as members of the royal family walked off the balcony of Buckingham Palace and back into the Centre Room of the royal residence. Royals reporter Victoria Arbiter shared a snap of the sweet exchange to X.

The royal family has rallied around each other in recent months as both King Charles and Kate Middleton undergo treatment for cancer.

Sophie is the wife of King Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward, and a full-time working royal like Prince William and Kate Middleton. In November 2023, Sophie and Prince William, 41, had a rare royal outing together at The Royal Foundation’s screening of the documentary Rhino Man in London. Kensington Palace said that the Duchess of Edinburgh, who has a strong interest in wildlife protection, was “delighted to join the Prince of Wales at the event this evening to show her support for United for Wildlife,” which hosted the event.

Sophie was bright in a yellow dress by Beulah London at Trooping the Colour on June 15, and completed the look with a coordinating Jane Taylor London fascinator with veil. The Duchess of Edinburgh’s outfit choice also created a pop of color on the suddenly stormy day when a downpour moved in!

Around 12 p.m., local time, the clouds opened up over the Trooping the Colour pageantry. As the Household Division of the British Army continued with the planned itinerary, Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte wiped away condensation from the window of the Glass State Coach they traveled in with Prince George and Prince Louis. Sophie and her daughter Lady Louise Windsor didn’t have the same protection in the open No.1 Barouche, and had to duck to dodge the rain.

The Duchess of Edinburgh was all smiles despite the wet weather, and Lady Louise, 20, held on to her hat. The college student, who is enrolled at Prince William and Princess Kate’s alma mater, the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland, made her own fashion statement with a royal rewear at Trooping — and something maybe from her mom’s closet!

Lady Louise wore the same white floral Suzannah London dress that she first sported to King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, and accessorized with a cornflower blue hat by Jane Taylor London that looked like the same one Sophie wore to Royal Ascot in June 2023.

Louise wasn’t the only royal who opted for a rewear at Trooping the Colour — so did Princess Kate!

At the King’s birthday parade, the Princess of Wales, 42, wore a reworked version of the white Jenny Packham dress she debuted at last year on coronation eve. The sleek white sheath dress with black belt was tweaked with a new accent ribbon neckline and different details around the waist, putting a sustainable spin on an existing look from her wardrobe.

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It was significant to see Princess Kate at Trooping the Colour on June 15 as it marked her first public appearance since she announced in March that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The Princess of Wales shared her plans to attend Trooping within a personal letter released on June 14, where she gave an update on her health. The Princess of Wales said she was “making good progress” and described her treatment as “ongoing,” adding that she was “looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family.”

“Family is really important to the Princess of Wales and she wanted to be there to support her family,” a royal source said of Princess Kate’s decision to attend Trooping the Colour.