SHE has long been regarded as the Royals’ secret weapon and a savvy peacemaker.
But now Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh — who was once described by Princess Diana as “Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes” — is braced to play an important role in the family’s future.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is set to step into a key role at the heart of the Royal Family’s future[/caption]
Both William and Kate are very fond of Sophie and Edward, who have proven to be steady hands in an otherwise turbulent family[/caption]
Sophie and Kate are said to have a good relationship[/caption]
And the Duchess herself is thought to be delighted with the idea of more frontline roles and responsibilities.
Since the banishment of Harry and Meghan, and Prince Andrew’s fall from grace, the team of working royals has been down to the bare bones.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the cancer woes of King Charles and the Princess of Wales, the shortage of major royals for public duties was even more stark.
Step forward Sophie, 60, who will now play a distinguished public role in the Royal Family.
Both William and Kate are very fond of her and Edward, 61, who have proven to be steady hands in an otherwise turbulent family.
Sources say Sophie — mother of Lady Louise, 21, who is set to graduate this summer, and 17-year-old James, the Earl of Wessex — is keen to relieve the work pressure on Charles, Camilla, William and Kate.
This month Sophie was seen giggling and sipping cider with William at the Royal Cornwall Show, then last week crowds watched as she and Kate laughed together at the Garter Day procession in Windsor.
No fanfare
Moves for Sophie to be given a higher public profile come after Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in January 2020.
Four months later the disgraced Duke of York resigned from public roles and will never hold a royal position again after he paid millions in an out-of-court settlement over allegations of sex trafficking by Virginia Giuffre against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Prince and Princess of Wales admire Sophie’s quiet yet determined work on causes such as sexual violence in conflict, and supporting young people.
Until now she has been a bit like Princess Anne — someone who has done a hell of a lot of travelling to engagements all over the world without any real fanfare.
Royal source
A source who knows her well says: “Sophie is very keen to take on more work for the Royal Family.
“Until now she has been a bit like Princess Anne — someone who has done a hell of a lot of travelling to engagements all over the world without any real fanfare.
“The places she has gone to are often not very fashionable, to say the least, but she happily goes and gives each engagement her all because she knows she is representing the King.
“The Duchess is very good at doing her own research for those engagements and writing her own speeches, as does the Duke.
“I suspect that as she takes on more work for the family, Sophie will have to have more staff.
“Because at the moment the Duke and Duchess only have one live-in member of staff at their home in Bagshot [Surrey], who doubles up as a personal secretary.”
Sophie’s widowed father, former oil executive Chris Rhys-Jones, is 94, and she does feel guilty that she won’t be able to see him as much.
But, says our source, he is delighted that his daughter is to be given a bigger role in the Royal Family.
Until now the public have been largely unaware of her work, which often has a global reach.
The then Sophie Rhys Jones at 1996 Ascot charity race day[/caption]
Sophie enjoyed a close relationship with the late Queen, with the pair pictured together at Sandringham in 2002[/caption]
Last October The Sun joined Sophie as she made a historic trip to meet victims at a refugee camp on Chad’s border with war-torn Sudan.
The Duchess, who has worked as a humanitarian for almost a decade, paid an emotional visit to the Adre refugee camp in support of children’s charity Plan International UK.
Since she pledged her support for the Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative on International Women’s Day in 2019 she has visited victims in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Iraq, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A royal source said: “Undoubtedly she’s going to play an important role in the future.
“William feels Edward and Sophie are needed. The important work that they do is seen.”
The Royal Family have also been hugely impressed by Sophie’s popularity with the public.
In a recent YouGov poll she scored a 51 per cent positive rating — beating Camilla.
In April last year she became the first royal — 12 months before Prince Harry’s headline-grabbing jaunt — to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded.
Cheering crowds
Her trip on behalf of the Foreign Office championed “solidarity” with Ukrainians suffering at the hands of Russia’s brutal attacks.
She also teamed up with the late Queen Elizabeth II in support of a programme to eliminate the infectious and blinding eye disease trachoma across the Commonwealth.
Then last week came her joint engagement with William at the Royal Cornwall Show, where they were met by cheering crowds.
They were all smiles as they toasted each other with gin and cider, making it clear they have an easy relationship.
I think it’s beholden on Buckingham Palace to put her out there more if that’s what she wants to do.
Chris Ship, ITV Royal Editor
Earlier this month, visiting the Imperial War Museum in London, Sophie spoke of her mission to end sexual violence in global war zones.
In the coming weeks her royal diary reveals a string of typically low-key engagements supporting her many patronages, such as Rochester Cathedral, the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations and the Central Ballet School.
The King rewarded Edward and Sophie with their Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh titles in March 2023 to mark Edward’s 59th birthday.
Chris Ship, ITV Royal Editor, said: “She does some fantastic work in the Middle East, in Africa, helping children who are suffering from potential blindness in adulthood.
“So yes, she could do a lot more and I think she is a real asset.
“I think it’s beholden on Buckingham Palace to put her out there more if that’s what she wants to do.”
Sophie has not always been universally popular at the Palace.
On her wedding day in 1999 at Windsor Castle[/caption]
When she first began dating Edward in 1993 she handled the publicity for his charity event, and it was reported that Princess Diana gave her the Little Miss Goody Two Shoes nickname.
Diana was vocal in her dislike for Sophie, who she thought had been given an easy ride in comparison with her own experience of joining the Royal Family.
For many years Sophie has been known as the Royal Family’s secret weapon — but for many it has been too secret.
Finally the safe pair of hands could be given more of a role.
SHE’S A JOY TO MEET
- By Arthur Edwards
I AM delighted Sophie will spend more time in the royal limelight.
She deserves it, because for more than 25 years, since she married Prince Edward, she has been doing her bit, but most of it has gone unrecognised.
Not only is she stylish and the nicest person you could ever meet, she is also very down-to-earth. I went with her to a school where she gave a talk about the problems girls go through at puberty.
She not only was happy to be photographed holding sanitary pads but she also insisted that boys attended her talk so they would understand.
I have known her since she first met Edward, and I photographed her with her daughter Princess Louise, the first royal baby to be born in an NHS hospital, following emergency surgery.
Louise was one of the bridesmaids at William and Kate’s wedding.
At a garden party later that year, Sophie happily told my wife Ann that Kate’s mum Carole should take the credit for getting the bridesmaids and page boys to rehearse again and again, so by the time of the wedding they knew each other so well.
Sophie has never lost the common touch – and now many more people will discover what a joy it is to meet her.
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