The royal family turned out in numbers this Easter weekend, yet one notable face was conspicuously missing from proceedings.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, had been widely anticipated to join the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales at the traditional Easter Matins service held at Windsor Castle on Sunday, reports the Mirror.
However, despite her husband Prince Edward attending alongside their son James, the Earl of Wessex, Sophie was nowhere to be seen. It is understood she opted out of the service due to feeling ‘under the weather‘.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh -Credit:Getty/ Dave Benett
The absence is thought to have been a disappointment for Charles, given that Sophie and Edward have assumed an increasingly vital role in bolstering the monarchy amid a dwindling number of working royals.
The Firm continues to wrestle with the Andrew Mountbatten Windsor ‘problem’, as he is reportedly “digging his heels” over relocating to his permanent Sandringham residence at Marsh Farm.
The disgraced former prince has been residing at Marsh Farm — another of Charles’ private properties on the estate — since being ousted from Royal Lodge, his 30-room Windsor mansion.
His younger brother Prince Edward became the “first and only” Windsor to visit Andrew in Sandringham this weekend, seeking a “quiet word” regarding hastening his move.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor -Credit:PA
(PA)
The pair fulfil a crucial function in representing the Royal Family at official engagements, with royal commentator Jennie Bond suggesting to the Mirror that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh might prove instrumental in safeguarding the monarchy following Andrew’s downfall.
She revealed to us last month: “With the depletion of the working royals, Edward and Sophie have become ever more important in supporting the monarchy. And I’m sure they will continue to have key roles when William becomes King.
“Sophie, in particular, has a girl-next-door charm about her that she has never lost, even though she is now a very senior member of the royal family. She is immensely relatable, with no airs or graces, and she has a close and very relaxed relationship with her nephew, William.
“I’m sure that Edward and Sophie discuss everything and provide valuable support to one another in this crisis”, Jennie elaborated. “As the two youngest sons of the late Queen – both of them a decade or more younger than their siblings – Edward and Andrew probably have the closest bond.
“So it has no doubt been hard for Edward to witness his brother’s disgrace. But his first and overriding loyalty is to his wife, who is such a tireless campaigner for women who have been sexually abused, particularly in the war zones of the world. How utterly depressing it must be for Sophie to learn about the long-standing and close friendship between her brother-in-law and a convicted paedophile.”
Last month, Edward became the first senior royal to face questions about his brother following the publication of millions of documents in the Epstein files. While on a visit to Dubai in February, he stated it was “really important” to Epstein’s victims.
Jennie continued: “I have no doubt that Edward was absolutely sincere when he said that it was really important always to remember the victims, especially as he has watched and admired his wife’s work campaigning for many years against sexual violence.
“And of course, he’s right. At least he spoke up – and that’s what we need from the family instead of the old, outdated strategy of ‘never complain, never explain’.”