Great news, royals fans. Duchess Sophie turns 60 on Monday, and the official Instagram account is celebrating early by releasing her portrait in advance. The shot is lovely all around. However, there's one tiny detail that I almost missed—and it has nothing to do with her photos. The gallery is currently liked by more than 190,000 people, but the one “like” I was most surprised to see was from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Royal Family Unveils Gorgeous New Duchess Sophie Portrait for Her 60th Birthday—But One Tiny Detail Caught My Eye Most
Blink and you miss it
Published Jan 19, 2025
•3:21pm
Max Mumby/Indigo/Contributor/Getty Images
Instagram: @royalfamily/PureWow
If you need any proof, check out my screenshot above, where it was liked by their official account. During my daily scroll, I noticed the name automatically and checked again to make sure. It's a subtle gesture, but one that speaks volumes about their relationship with Duchess Sophie.
So, what's the gallery in question? In the first photo, the Duchess of Edinburgh is all smiles as she sits by the windows, looking away from the camera. One of the most fashionable royals, she wears a black turtleneck, white pleated skirt and dainty jewelry. The second photo shows her outside, wearing an entirely new (and very chic) outfit: brown turtleneck, green pleated pants and a striking white pea coat. The third photo is a behind-the-scenes shot of the photoshoot.
The caption reads, "Ahead of The Duchess of Edinburgh’s 60th birthday on Monday, a new picture has been released. The photograph was taken at Bagshot Park in January by @christinaebenezer_."
The post continues, "The Duchess of Edinburgh was interested in [Christina] Ebenezer's creative style of photography and wanted to support a rising female photographer.
As The Duchess looks ahead to turning 60, Her Royal Highness has a renewed sense of excitement and commitment to her work around gender equality and looks forward to further embracing and championing this issue in the years to come."
Max Mumby/Indigo/Contributor/Getty Images
While it's a tiny detail, it's nice to see the royal couple giving Duchess Sophie some support. However, it's no big surprise as Prince William and Kate Middleton have shown it on numerous occasions.
A great example was the vviral moment at Trooping the Colour in June 2024, where Sophie lovingly placed her hand on Prince William's back, and soon after when the pair was seen chatting and joining each other at other royal events.
Christopher Furlong/Staff/Getty Images
The almost 60-year-old has been a member of the British royal family for quite some time, since marrying Prince Edward more than 25 years ago. And I for one love to see how united the royal family is—even if just via one like on Insta. That's a big deal, folks.
