As she celebrates her 25th wedding anniversary with Prince Edward on June 19, we raise a glass to our Duchess of Edinburgh
WORDS: CLAIRE SAUL
The ladies of the Royal Family draw our attention in different ways. In Queen Camilla, for example, we see devoted loyalty to her husband and a natural, easy-going nature.
Princess Anne is the no-nonsense hard worker; Catherine is our charming, family-oriented Princess of Wales who commands the most interest of all.
Embracing all these qualities, quietly and steadily, is the Duchess of Edinburgh. As Sophie’s role has evolved over the 25 years since her marriage to Prince Edward, so too has her importance within the family.
As royal watcher Jennie Bond has noted, “Sophie is absolutely one of the new female stars of the show – elegant, engaging and empathetic.”
The duchess has been described as one of the Royals’ most powerful secret weapons. Her popularity has risen, too. A YouGov survey of royal family favourability ranked her fifth in positive public opinion, after the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and King Charles.
Sophie On...
◆ Prince Edward: “He has given me much help d advice. nowledge and instincts honed over decades of service are invaluable – so we share speech notes . . . chat through issues our patronages may be tackling, and together I think we make quite a good team.”
◆ Balmoral: “It is a magical place. Apart from the midges, but it is a magical place.”
◆ Garden Parties: “It’s a great way of keeping moles down, that’s for sure. Eight thousand people on your lawn is a lot of people.”
Special Interests
Sophie’s busy schedule includes her roles as patron, president, ambassador, fellow or colonel in-chief to more than 70 charities and organisations, several with an international reach. Her interests include supporting young people and children needing additional care, people with disability, those with sight loss, and women in the workplace. She has a keen interest in initiatives supporting women and girls affected by conflict and championing the role of women in building peace. In this capacity Sophie has travelled widely, including visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and modern Baghdad, where she met the Iraqi head of state a
