The Duchess of Edinburgh was stylish as ever in a navy gown – as she kicked off her four-day visit to Alberta in Canada with a glitzy dinner.

Sophie relished her time at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, marking her commencement as the patron of Spruce Meadows, a renowned show jumping arena in North America’s heart. 

Dressed in a striking outfit featuring some of her favored designer items, the 60-year-old beamed as she arrived, wearing an Erdem dress with white floral embroidery and a design echoing vintage styles. 

This wasn’t her debut in the 50s-inspired dress, having worn it twice in 2022 – once at a reception by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and another time during a Caribbean tour. 

Draped over her shoulder was a white Altuzarra blazer, a piece frequently seen on the Duchess, most notably at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. 

Sophie complemented her look with Adore Jewels diamond earrings, observed on her in five different instances this year, and a new Laurence Coste Aurelia cuff on her wrist. 

In her arms, she clutched a Sophie Habsburg Cleobag in a blue crocodile print.

The £300 handbag accompanied her during her previous Canadian visit and various other events such as a state visit to South Korea and a memorial for the July 7 London bombings. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh attended an event at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary as she begins her visit as the patron of Spruce Meadows, a show jumping venue

Wearing a stunning ensemble of some of her favourite designer pieces, the 60-year-old was all smiles as she entered the venue

She donned a long navy dress by Erdem and a white Altuzarra blazer and accessorised with a Sophie Habsburg Cleobag in a blue crocodile print

She wore her blonde locks down over her shoulders and wore minimal makeup with bright pink lipstick.

Spruce Meadows has close royal ties, with Queen Elizabeth II visiting in 1990 to open an event in her name. 

The venue’s president and CEO Linda Southern-Heathcott said Sophie’s visit was ‘the most wonderful way in which we could have possibly celebrated our 50th Anniversary year’. 

‘My family and I are both delighted and humbled at the prospect of hosting Her Royal Highness at Spruce Meadows,’ she said in a statement. 

‘We were so thrilled to be accepted as one of her Royal Patronages earlier this year, and look forward to demonstrating the many ways in which Spruce Meadows endeavours to live up to that honour.

‘We hope Her Royal Highness will enjoy her time here, as much as we will most certainly appreciate welcoming her.’

Sophie is returning to her royal duties after a summer break and will be in Canada until Sunday.

It is her first time in the nation since 2023 to celebrate Spruce Meadows’ 50th anniversary.

It isn’t the first time she’s donned the 50s-style dress. She wore it twice in 2022; at a reception hosted by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (pictured) and during a tour of the Caribbean

Sophie has donned the Altuzarra blazer on many occasions – most recently at Wimbledon in July (left). She has been snapped with the blue bag a dozen times including at the a memorial service for the July 7 London bombings (right)

In the coming days, she’s set to meet athletes, staff, volunteers and stakeholders, visit local charities and enjoy some show jumping at the Masters tournament. 

Meanwhile, it has been almost a month since the mother-of-two was last snapped while carrying out her royal duties. 

She was previously seen when she spoke of her pride when meeting with a 105-year-old war veteran who survived being torpedoed at sea and over three years in a Japanese prisoner camp back in August. 

Sophie listened intently to ex Royal Marine James ‘Jim’ Wren’s stories of sacrifice and heroics to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory in Japan) Day at his care home in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

‘Very nice to meet you, thanks for having me. It’s my honour to meet you,’ the royal said.

Over a cup of tea and cake, the war hero told the Duchess, who is patron of the Java Far East Prisoner of War Club 1942, how his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedoes before he was captured and held in brutal conditions in Sumatra.

Jim’s survival of the sinking of HMS Repulse in the South China Sea in December 1941, in which 513 perished, alone was nothing short of a miracle.

He told Sophie: ‘I was having a cup of tea and the alarm went off. The first bomb got right behind me.

Sophie listened intently to ex Royal Marine James ‘Jim’ Wren’s (pictured) stories of sacrifice and heroics to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory in Japan ) Day at his care home in Salisbury, Wiltshire

‘And fortunately it didn’t explode. It got down through three decks. That saved my life in a sense.’

‘From then onwards it was a case of actions, actions, and it was torpedo after torpedo and they eventually got nine hits.’

He clung onto debris before being rescued by HMS Electra and taken to Singapore to defend it against the advancing Japanese.

But as they fled Singapore his ship was captured by a Japanese destroyer in February 1942 and spent three and half years in a brutal prisoner of war camp in Sumatra.

He told the Duchess: ‘It was a possibility we could perish and all those people on board.

‘We didn’t know where our next meal or drink would be coming from and left to get on with it as best we can.

‘They had no idea how to deal with prisoners of war, the Japanese.’

Britain suffered more than 90,000 casualties in the war in the Far East of which 30,000 died. More than 12,400 of these perished as prisoners of war.

The duchess and Jim then looked through a photo album including a picture of his wife Margaret – and he told the duchess how she spent three years not knowing if he was alive or dead

The duchess and Jim then looked through a photo album including a picture of his wife Margaret – and he told the duchess how she spent three years not knowing if he was alive or dead.

After a brief chat in front of the media Sophie and Jim then had a private conversation.

Speaking afterwards Jim said: ‘It’s been a great honour to meet her.’

The pair were joined by four generations of his family including daughter Denise Dables, 69, son-in-law Andy Dables, 72, granddaughter Kirsty Dables, 51, and great-granddaughters Freya, 18, and Ellie, 16.

A Chinese-registered vessel has previously been detained suspected of looting scrap metal HMS Repulse.

Jim has now joined calls for the ship’s anchor to be installed at the permanent memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, at Staffordshire.

The former marine also found himself getting emotional as he spoke about the 80th anniversary commemorations, coming after last year’s D-Day anniversary and VE-Day earlier this year.

Echoing the words of many surviving veterans, he said: ‘When we got back the government didn’t want to know and told us not to talk about it.’