Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh divides royal fans with ‘Mad Hatter’s hat’ for Easter

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh stepped out in a bright pink coat for yesterday’s Easter service in Windsor. Eagle-eyed royal fans noticed this was not a new coat for Sophie she was last photographed wearing it in 2012. But it was her hat and boot combination today that got many talking.

Sophie’s coat is believed to be from Catherine Walker, the same designer as Kate, Princess of Wales’ blue coat that she wore yesterday. The exact design is the ‘Evie’ Coatdress and Kate has the same coat but in black.

Sophie accessorised her outfit with a large beige hat, which is from the brand Philip Treacy. It boasted a wide asymmetrical brim and eye-catching height, which some fashion fans didn’t like.

She matched the hat with a pair of beige knee-high boots and clutch. Sophie’s large clutch bag was from Sophie Habsburg, a brand she has many bags from. It’s the Belle de Jour Clutch in beige and priced at £281 or €320.00.

Someone on Twitter branded her hat “terrible” while another suggested: “I love Sophie but she really needs someone to help her dress. The hat and boots don’t go.”

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One joked Sophie was wearing a “mad hatters hat” and another said “the hat is very silly”.

“Love the coat and color. Hate the boots and hat. Seems too heavy for a spring look,” an Instagram comment read.

A second remarked: “I kind of like the mad hatter Alice in Wonderland concept, but it might be too warm for these boots.”

“I like the colours together, but the boots, hat and bag are all too big. Looks totally out of proportion to me. The bag looks more like a business folder than a clutch you take to church,” a royal fan chimed.

One comment said Sophie’s outfit was “unusually eclectic” for the royal and claimed there was “nothing modern or chic about this look”.

“Ugh! Please don’t bring back the hideous asymmetric hats! Sophie’s style is usually so chic these days. Don’t go backwards!” Another remarked.

“I don’t know what Sophie was going for but it’s a miss. Don’t like the mad hatter hat. The boots with this outfit are just I do like the coat,” one posted.

When Meghan Markle made her Royal Ascot debut a couple of years ago, she opted for a Givenchy collared dress with buttons down the front.

Following the strict Royal Ascot rules, Prince Harry’s wife chose a hat for the occasion, designed by Philip Treacy himself.

The black and white creation had a sweeping brim and an eye-catching black bow.