The Earl and Countess of Wessex landed in Gibraltar tonight after their British Airways flight was delayed by almost five hours. The couple were welcomed by the Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, together with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his wife.

Sophie looked lovely stepping off the plane, with the late afternoon Spanish sun on her face.

She donned a cream dress by Italian designer Valentino for the occasion.

The dress had a tight bodice with short sleeves, before billowing slightly into a pleated skirt.

The skirt reached Sophie’s knees and seemed to be made of heavy fabric.

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Sophie’s bag matched her dress and had a black handle.

It was new and from the Valextra bag brand. Baptized “Iside”, the Countess took it with her when she got off the plane.

To complete the look, Sophie donned pale pink Prada shoes with a small heel.

These are the Duchess’ favorites because the color goes with everything.

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Sophie also wore several jewels for her visit to Le Rocher.

Her necklace was gold and featured a large dangling pendant, while her bracelets were two unique designs that she wore often.

One was a gold chain adorned with a tiny quartz stone.

The other was a bracelet of white pearls, which went well with the quartz, as well as the dress of the countess.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex traveled to Gibraltar today to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with the people of the Rock.

The trip is expected to last a few days and will feature a special Queen’s birthday parade near the British-built 19th century barracks in Casemates Square on Thursday June 9.

However, the British Airways flight carrying the royal couple was forced to make an unscheduled landing this afternoon due to what was described as a ‘technical problem’.

A British Airways spokesman said his plane had “landed normally” at Heathrow following the pilots’ decision to return after taking off as a precaution.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The Earl and Countess of Wessex’s arrival in Gibraltar has been slightly delayed, after their flight was safely diverted to the UK due to a Technical problem.”

The British Airways spokesperson added: “Our pilots decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally.”

Earlier today, the Queen sent a message of gratitude to Gibraltar as the couple arrived in the area.

Her Majesty said in a leaked message from Windsor Castle: “Over the years I have seen Gibraltar thrive as a multi-cultural, multi-faith community, proud of its rich history while being vibrant and forward-looking. “

Royal fans took to social media to comment on Sophie’s cream outfit.

Mary Suzy wrote: “Sophie Wessex looks sophisticated on a Gibraltar outing.”

Twitter user @polkadotpopp added: “Sophie the Countess of Wessex looks stylish.”