I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan, and this story intertwines with royal fandom stuff, so here we go:  Sophie, Countess of Wessex held a reception today at Buckingham Palace to honor the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is the longest-running science fiction television show in the history of the world.  Seriously, it holds the Guinness World Record and everything.  It first aired in on 23 November 1963.  The Classic series aired from then to December 1989.  There was a television movie that aired in 1996.  The series was revived in 2005 and has been on the air ever since.  So this year is the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who.  They are airing the special episode on November 23 in a global simulcast, and it is in theatres one-night-only on November 25 in 3D (I have my ticket and am totally going).

Now for the royal connection:  There are at least two Doctor Who fans in the Royal Family, that we know of.  Prince Charles is a huge Doctor Who fan, and has been since childhood.  He and Camilla went and visited the Doctor Who set in Cardiff while they were touring there earlier this year.  And Sophie Wessex is a huge Doctor Who fan as well, and has been since childhood.  That is how long this show has been on, long enough for two people with a 17 year age gap to have both seen it as children.  Granted Charles would have seen it when he was well into his teenage years (since he was born in 1948 and DW did not air until 1963).  But if you assume that Sophie did not see it until she was at least 10, or older, that would mean the show had to have been on 12 years or more, since she was born two years after the show first aired.  That is a ridiculous amount of time.

Anyway, back to today’s reception.  Four (out of the 11, +1, Doctors that have existed on the show) Doctors were present:  Matt Smith (the current, until Christmas, Doctor); Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor); Peter Davidson (the Fifth Doctor); and John Hurt (the War Doctor whom we have not seen yet but will see during the 50^th special).  There were also props from the set, including TARDISs, Daleks, and K-9 (the robot dog).  Other people associated with the show who were there include Jenna-Louise Coleman (the current companion) and Catherine Tate (who was a companion to the Tenth Doctor during season four of the modern series).  Steven Moffat (the current show runner) was also in attendance, the article does not mention him but he is in a picture with Sophie, so I know he was there.

Let’s talk about fashion.  Sophie looked amazing.  She wore a long sleeved, knee length, figure flattering, magenta dress with a scalloped neckline, and nude pumps.  Her hair was pulled into a neat up-do so it did not get in her face, and her make-up was perfect for a daytime event.  She really looked fabulous, the dress fit well and the color was great on her.  Looking at the video, she seemed professional yet relaxed and looked like she really enjoyed herself.  There aren’t any great full length shots of Sophie, this one is probably the best—also John Hurt is a badass, leaning against the Dalek while waiting to be greeted.  Here is a fantastic close-up of Sophie.

Jenna-Louise Coleman wore a drop-waist pink dress with a black flower pattern, a plum coat, and black cut-out bootie shoes.  It’s nothing special.  I don’t like the shoes with the dress; they seem too heavy for that light of a color.  Actually, they seem too heavy for a day event; they look more like something one would wear with a dark colored dress or gown for a night event.  But that’s just my opinion.  The coat is cute, though. 

Catherine Tate wore a basic black dress with black tights, black pumps, and a black bag; she wore a brown coat.  It’s pretty basic, not much to talk about; but she looks nice, appropriate.

Doctor Who is a British institution like the Queen, Shakespeare, and the Union Flag—things one thinks of immediately when one thinks of Britain (I would include Harry Potter on that list as well).  I must say, I was shocked that Danny Boyle did not include an homage to Doctor Who during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.  Anyway, it’s cool to know that Charles and Sophie are Doctor Who fans, and it’s great that DW is being celebrated, because its longevity is remarkable.