The Duchess of Edinburgh is keeping cool amid a 'summer of heatwaves' as she debuted a dramatic new hairstyle today.Sophie, 61, was all smiles as she visited Hertfordshire for an agricultural festival on Wednesday, and attendees were unlikely to miss her new look, with the mother-of-two sporting a short, fuss-free bob.The duchess has had several inches of her hair cut as her blonde tresses skimmed her shoulders.Sophie, whose reading glasses were perched on her head, opted to wear a denim midi skirt with a blue blouse from Penelope Chivers as she greeted spectators at the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival in Hitchin.With Britain set to face its third heatwave from Friday, it's understandable why Sophie might want a shorter hairdo as temperatures are expected to soar above 30C again following the hottest May and June days.Sophie finished her look with a pair of tan boots and simple gold accessories, as she was photographed at Lannock Farm in Weston for the two-day agriculture festival aimed at promoting sustainable farming methods.It is the first time Sophie has been pictured with short hair, as the mother-of-two wore a hat during Sunday's carriage driving competition at Sandringham.She donned a straw boater to match her beige blazer for the annual Sandringham Horse Driving Trials on the King's royal Norfolk estate, making it hard to discern whether Sophie had already had her hair cut.However, Sophie likely visited her stylist sometime after returning from Jersey on June 24, when her locks still fell past her shoulders. The duchess has had several inches of her hair cut as her blonde tresses now skim her shouldersIt comes after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has made his first public outing since moving to Sandringham to watch his sister-in-law Sophie in the carriage-driving competition yesterday. The disgraced former prince was seen driving his Land Rover Defender away from the estate after the Duchess of Edinburgh's event finished on Sunday morning - with his brother Prince Edward also watching from the sidelines.The ex-Duke of York, who now lives on the Sandringham estate at Marsh Farm in Wolferton, has rarely been spotted in public since his arrest on February 19.He moved out of his Royal Lodge home in Windsor earlier that month on February 2 to move to Wood Farm while renovations were carried out on Marsh Farm.Edward, who was casually dressed in white trousers and an open-necked polo shirt while supporting his wife on Sunday, was seen leaving the event soon after Andrew.Sophie, who was wearing a long cream jacket, navy blue flowery skirt and a straw boater, stayed for the afternoon and later handed out prizes to the winners.Sophie and Edward are thought to have been staying at the Wood Farm residence near Andrew's house, while the three-day competition was taking place.Their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, who is a student at the University of St Andrews, has previously competed in the event but was not present on Sunday.The Sandringham trials were started in 1982 by Prince Philip, who wanted to bring one of his favourite sports to one of his favourite places.Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19 and interviewed under caution before being released under investigation. Sophie, 61, was all smiles as she visited Hertfordshire for an agricultural festival on Wednesday, and attendees were unlikely to miss her new look, with the mother-of-two sporting a short, fuss-free bob Sophie, whose reading glasses were perched on her head, opted to wear a denim midi skirt with a blue blouse from Penelope Chivers as she greeted spectators at the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival in Hitchin. Sophie likely visited her stylist sometime after returning from Jersey on June 24, when her locks still fell past her shouldersDetectives at Thames Valley Police are also considering allegations of sexual misconduct in their inquiry.Andrew served as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 until 2011, when he stepped down amid controversy over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.He has denied any wrongdoing over his links to the convicted sex offender. Last week, Sophie made history during a two-day visit to Jersey when she became the first royal to travel to Les Écréhous to highlight the island's commitment to sustainable food production.This was followed by a visit to Jersey's only sight impairment charity, EYECAN, where the duchess was greeted lovingly by a guide dog. Prince Edward's wife was typically elegant in a pink, floral-patterned dress that she accessorised with gold earrings, a delicate necklace, and a pair of black sunglasses.The Duchess finished her summery look with a pair of golden sandals as she kept her makeup looking fresh and dewy on a hot day in Jersey, with temperatures reaching up to 31C.After greeting charity officials, Sophie tested a pair of glasses that replicate cataracts as she was photographed using a cane during the moving visit.The duchess, who recently attended Royal Ascot, also tried on a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI technology that allows users to capture images, listen to music, and take calls.Sophie, who is an avid sight loss campaigner, also met five-year-old Neveah Thorpe and 18-month-old Novah Thorpe before being shown a Braille Lego set at the EYECAN centre.During her time at the charity, Sophie also joined a crafts session and fashioned roses out of sheets of pink paper before unveiling a plaque to commemorate her visit on Wednesday.The Duchess has previously spoken about how she was moved by her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor's vision problems to campaign on behalf of blind and visually impaired people around the world.Prince Edward's daughter Louise was born prematurely in 2003, causing a condition called strabismus, which left her with what the countess described as a 'profound' squint.She has since had the problem corrected because cosmetically it was awkward for her, Sophie said, and she can now see properly.She told the Sunday Express in 2015: 'Premature babies can often have squints because the eyes are the last thing in the baby package to really be finalised.''Her squint was quite profound when she was tiny, and it takes time to correct it. You've got to make sure one eye doesn't become more dominant than the other but she's fine now - her eyesight is perfect.'