The Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward have become the first royals to visit the Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial statue.
The royal couple travelled to Oakham in Rutland to visit the first memorial statue of the late Queen surrounded by her beloved corgis.
Sophie and Edward observed the 7ft statue sitting in the Oakham Library Gardens in silence before the duchess sweetly petted the bronze corgis.
The duchess, 59, wore a cream coat paired with straight green trousers and a bright orange handbag.
Prince Edward and Sophie travelled to Oakham on Tuesday
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She accessed the outfit with white pumps and twisted her hair into an elegant updo revealing pink, dangling earrings.
Meanwhile, Prince Edward donned a tweed blazer, navy trousers and a smart pink shirt for the rainy outing.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived at Oakham by helicopter before visiting Oakham Castle where they met children from local primary schools.
At the castle, the duke and duchess presented an unusual double horseshoe which will join others displayed on the walls presented by past Royal Family members.
Queen Elizabeth’s statue is surrounded by bronze corgis
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Prince Edward took time to greet the crowds who gathered to catch a glimpse of the royals.
As he walked past two people sitting underneath an umbrella outside of a pub, the duke joked: “Is this home is it?”
Last month, the memorial of the late Queen Elizabeth was unveiled to mark the monarch’s 70-year reign.
The trio of corgis were included in the statue to reflect Elizabeth’s love for the Pembroke Welsh breed.
Unveiling of Queen Elizabeth II statue in Oakham, Rutland
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Queen Elizabeth had over 30 corgis over her lifetime
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Over her lifetime, the Queen had over 30 corgis who reportedly slept in wicker baskets in a “corgi room” in Buckingham Palace.
After her death, the Queen’s two final corgis went to her son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Speaking about the corgis on BBC Radio 2 last year, Ferguson said that they are now “really happy.”
She said: “They are so sweet. I think they’ve been trained by her to be so gentle, so when you take a little digestive biscuit and break it like she used to with her little hands…she must’ve put a little biccie in front of them and they gently take it.”
