Duchess Sophie is already one of the most active working royals.
With the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal, Prince Edward’s wife is the member of the Royal Family who has the most duties and responsibilities – without counting the King and Queen, of course.
This week, she left royal watchers stunned when she paid a visit to the Central School of Ballet. She wore the ‘Everley’ dress style from Zimmermann in an emerald green hue covered in white flowers, accessorised with a simple beige clutch and ‘High Catalina Cotton Espadrille in Ivory’, which have become a staple in her summer wardrobe since she wore them for the first time earlier this month.
The sisterly bond with Princess Kate
The Duchess of Edinburgh is often seen alongside the Princess of Wales, whether at solemn events like Remembrance Sunday and Garter Day, or at more relaxed gatherings, such as the Together at Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey, which is hosted every year by the future Queen.
“They have a sisterly bond and Sophie is like the older sister Kate never had,” royal author Ingrid Seward tells Hello!.
“They are both incredibly kind girls and have a caring side to them. They are both protective of their children. Sophie has had a young family, so she knows what it’s like trying to protect them while being in the royal world.
READ: A Quiet Bond: Princess Kate And Duchess Sophie’s Powerful Act Of Unity
“Sophie also has experience of life-threatening illness – she nearly died when her daughter Louise was born. She has been there in the background, as part of a private support network.”
A supportive aunt for Prince William
Duchess Sophie, 60, has always been a present and supportive aunt to King Charles III’s eldest son, just as she was a close friend to his late mother, Princess Diana.
Earlier this month, the pair solidified their special bond when they stepped out together in Cornwall for a joint engagement at the Royal Cornwall Show, William as the patron of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, and Sophie as vice president and also patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations.
The two royals joked together while sampling local chutneys and sipping shots of gin and cider, and seemed to work in perfect harmony. William even made a joke about his passion for whisky: “I’ve been caught out with whisky a few too many times. I think I can do that and then oh no I couldn’t.”
With Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, out of the picture and a streamlined monarchy that only counts a handful of working royals, it’s not hard to imagine that The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will have an even more prominent position once Prince William succeeds his father and becomes King.
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