I’m on tour with Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward and there’s only one conclusion | Royal | News

I’ve been truly enamoured by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh while covering their six-day trip to Nepal. Sophie and Edward have earned a reputation for their impressive work ethic, quietly undertaking duties with little fanfare – and it’s not hard to see why.

They’re hardworking, kind and the duchess, in particular, was able to light up a room wherever she went. Sophie smiled, nodded and expressed concern in all the right places and is keen to learn about the places she visits.

Edward, on the other hand, was composed and a highly competent speaker. He captured the attention of his audience and injected appropriate humour to make guests laugh.

The duke is the only one of the late Queen’s four children who remains married to his first spouse. And the pair are clearly well-matched, complementing each other’s working styles and leaving no one in doubt that together, they are a formidable force.

The warmth and love they share for one another after 25 years of marriage and 31 years together is clear for all to see.

As they descended the steps of the Godawari Botanical Gardens on their third day, Edward instinctively held his arm out for Sophie before they walked down the steep steps hand-in-hand.

Their engagements were also characterised by playful jokes and friendly glances. When the Duchess disappeared to freshen up after a long drive, the duke told his host: “We appear to have lost my wife.”

The pair were also good-humoured and patient with the travelling media, happy to help photographers get the best shot.

Over the past 12 months, Edward and Sophie have more than shown that they are up to the task of taking on a more prominent role within the Firm, helping to plug the gaps during the unprecedented health crises.

The couple have proved themselves loyal and valued members of the Royal Family, and I hope their devotion to their causes continues to be elevated. I’d certainly volunteer to cover more of their engagements going forward.

Much has been made of Kensington Palace’s decision to stop releasing details of the Princess of Wales’s outfits. The shift signals her wish for the focus to be on her work, not her wardrobe.

It’s tricky in a world where there are dozens of social media accounts dedicated to identifying what she wears.

Perhaps the intense interest about the change in tact is why Kate opted for an understated look when she visited the National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday.

Blacks, browns and greys aren’t her usual colour palette.

Princess Anne’s mystery accident last June appears to have had a profound effect on one of the Royal Family’s most cherished members.

In the eight months since she was hospitalised with a concussion – in an incident believed to involve a horse – the King’s sister has been open about having no memory of what happened.

But on Thursday, a new detail was revealed – that she spent time in intensive care during her five-night stay at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

At the time, Buckingham Palace said she was admitted “as a precautionary measure for observation”.

The injury clearly had a huge effect on the no-nonsense Princess, and she was determined to return to the hospital to thank the staff who had treated her.

In a recent interview, she said the ordeal reminded her that “every day is a bonus,” suggesting the incident had quite a sobering effect on Britain’s hardest-working royal.

I got what’s known as second-hand embarrassment after watching the latest Instagram post from Meghan Markle last week.

The Duchess shared a clip explaining how she enlisted the help of her A-list pals to get Billie Eilish merchandise for a young fan whose home was burnt to ash in the LA wildfires.

Far from being a PR masterpiece, Meghan came across as boastful, tone-deaf and out of touch. I’m not sure even she knows what kind of brand she wants to portray anymore.

Influencer, television show host,
former royal, Hollywood actress, philanthropist and charity ambassador – or a wife and mother?

It’s hard to keep up – but one thing is very clear: I’m not sure even the best PR expert can save Meghan’s reputation now.

An emotional Prince of Wales opened up about his grief with bereaved children during one of his most personal engagements to date. William said losing a loved one can make it difficult to focus and get on with normal life.

The prince was 15 when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash, and in the past decade, he has been increasingly open about how it affected him.

Losing a parent at such a young age will have a profound impact on any child, but it’s compounded when you grow up in the public eye.

The teenagers he spoke to said the Prince “really understood” what they were going through which helped them to have candid conversations.

His mother would surely be proud that William is using his own traumatic experience to help others.