Countess Sophie Had an Awkward Moment with a Bug While Riding with Meghan Markle To the Royal Ascot

April 2024 ยท 2 minute read

No, not even royals are immune to being pestered by insects in the summertime. Sophie, Countess of Wessex unfortunately had an awkward encounter with a bug during her ride to the Royal Ascot with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and her husband Prince Edward (the Queen's youngest child). While chatting with the Duchess of Sussex in the carriage, a pest appeared to fly into her face.

The Countess was a bit surprised at first, but she promptly recovered gracefully, in classic royal fashion. Meghan even put her hand on her in-law's shoulder to make sure she was okay, but Sophie was back and smiling in no time.

Awkward moments aside, the Countess looked elegant in a blush pink Emilia Wickstead jumpsuit with black woven detailing down the arms and a matching Jane Taylor hat. She made a stylish pair with the Duchess, who dressed in a white Givenchy dress and a Philip Treacy hat (which gave us My Fair Lady vibes).

Funnily enough, this isn't even the first time we've seen a royal bothered by bugs this year. Just last month, Prince Harry had a hilarious encounter with a bee while giving a speech at Prince Charles' garden party at Buckingham Palace.

"Sorry, that bee really got me," he said after pausing mid-speech. The crowd laughed along, but Duchess Meghan, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles seemed to especially get a kick out of it.

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Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

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