In the wake of King Charles’s cancer diagnosis last year, The Duchess of Edinburgh has significantly increased her royal duties to support the monarchy during this challenging period. While Sophie has her own charitable interests in gender equality, avoidable blindness and raising the profile of sexual assault victims, one of her key roles is carrying out foreign visits.
The Duchess’ most recent trip was to Brussels on March 26 to attend an event highlighting the need to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation online. She joined politicians including safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, at an event hosted by the European Parliament.
The King’s office shared wonderful photos of a beaming Sophie as she addressed an “international audience of government representatives, as well as from the tech sector on the subject of child sexual exploitation and abuse.”
The mother-of-two “encouraged delegates at the ‘Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Global Action to Combat a Global Crime’ to work towards finding solutions to ongoing threats posed by social media and generative AI, and to consult with young people who ‘are keen to be the architects of their futures.'”
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Belgium in her role as Patron of the NSPCC and Plan International UK and discussed the growing threats on social media in a roundtable discussion with global child rights NGOs and survivors.
An analysis of the court circular, which was conducted by Reboot SEO company, shows that Sophie was in fifth place with participating in 124 engagements in 2024. This surge underscores her commitment to upholding royal responsibilities amid the recent health challenges faced by both King Charles and the Princess of Wales.
The Duchess has also conducted a long list of high profile trips to war-torn or otherwise troubled areas of the world on behalf of the King, having visited the Republic of Chad in October 2024, and Ukraine in April 2024.
Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, previously told OK! Magazine: “Sophie is making quite a habit of going to troubled regions of the world: for example Baghdad, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I think it’s courageous. She’s a very modest woman carrying out a high profile role without fuss or fanfare, and often without the recognition she is due.
“We can expect more of the same from the Duchess because she is not the sort of person to take up a cause and be satisfied with a purely honorary role. She wants to make a difference and she is prepared to take risks to do so. Well done Sophie!”
In March 2024, Sophie also conducted a rare royal engagement with Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace.
The duo welcomed veterans of the Korean War at a reception on behalf of the King. This event highlighted Sophie’s ongoing commitment to representing the Royal Family during the King’s treatment.
Duchess Sophie’s support and increased visibility has been instrumental in maintaining the continuity of royal engagements. Her actions not only demonstrate her reliability but also reflect the collective strength of the Royal Family as they navigate any health challenges.