Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend in Electric Lime and Purple

Duchess Sophie is visiting Zambia for a five-day tour, meeting with organizations to celebrate the relationship between the African country and the U.K., and she went for a bold color combination on day one of the trip.

Unexpected color pairings have been popping up everywhere lately, with stars leaning into Princess Diana-approved red and purple or other surprising duos like cobalt and butter yellow. But the Duchess of Edinburgh proved she was well ahead of the trend by choosing a lime green midi dress which she debuted in 2019.

Sophie has styled her ARossGirl x Soler dress in multiple ways over the years, but for her trip to Zambia, she wore it with a royal purple sash for a vivid pop of color. Although the duchess has been choosing the swishy short-sleeved dress for royal visits time and time again, it's also right on trend for 2026 with its chartreuse shade.

Sophie also pulled off some diplomatic dressing, as the bright green shade of her dress reflected one of the colors of the Zambian flag. She teamed the midi with one of her go-to pairs of espadrille wedges from Penelope Chilvers and some meaningful accessories.

The duchess purchased several pieces of jewelry from a local business during her trip to Kenya earlier this year, and she wore a pair of green beaded earrings by Nairobi-based Kazuri Beads on Monday. Sophie added a wide gold "Africa" ring by Giulia Barela Jewelry along with a floral-themed necklace and ring by the designer and her ever-present Asprey oak leaf bracelet.

Preventable blindness is one of the major causes the Duchess of Edinburgh supports, and she wore her green and purple look to the the Orbis Eye Health reception in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, before changing into a second colorful dress for her events on Tuesday.

Sophie wore a white Soler London maxi dress with a rainbow pattern of stripes, flowers and abstract shapes for a busy day of events on September 15. The duchess paired her dress with the same Penelope Chilvers shoes as she spoke with female business leaders in Zambia, visited a jewelry workshop and met with survivors of gender-based violence.

The duchess is passionate about supporting women who have been impacted by sexual violence in conflict, as well as domestic abuse, and she visited Imvelo Studios, where survivors use creative expression as a means of empowerment, healing and advocacy.

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