It’s a busy travel week for the royals. As Kate Middleton prepares for her first official overseas trip since 2023 later this week, the Duchess of Edinburgh is currently on a quick one-day solo engagement in Denmark.

Sophie participated in an international conference on artificial intelligence and child safety, held at the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. Titled “Keeping Our Children and Families Safe in the AI Era,” the conference was organized by Save the Children in collaboration with Common Sense Media, an American organization focused on technology and children, and former European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager.

Denmark’s King Frederik opened the conference with a speech on Tuesday morning, and Sophie made brief remarks in her capacity as royal patron of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a British charity. The conference brought together politicians, experts, and technology leaders to discuss how to protect children and young people from the harmful effects of social media and artificial intelligence. The Duchess has a long-standing working relationship with the King of Denmark; Sophie hosted Frederik in the Royal Box at Wimbledon last summer.

Frederik has served as the royal patron of Save the Children since 2002. “With AI-generated images and videos, the line between what is real and what is not is becoming increasingly blurred. Children—and the rest of us for that matter—are, in effect, being deliberately deceived,” Frederik said during his remarks. “And when convincing AI companions offer friendship, advice, and emotional support, it can be tempting to turn to them as trusted confidants. But they are not human. They have no lived experience, no genuine emotions, no moral judgement, and no true empathy. And if we begin to mistake machines for people, we risk being left in the dark.”

The King acknowledged that AI “holds immense promise” as well, noting it can expand access to knowledge and creativity. “The goal, therefore, is not to halt innovation—but to guide it responsibly with the safety of children in mind,” he said.

Sophie’s time in Denmark is limited. Per the official royal diary, the Duchess is expected to be back in London tonight for the Florence Nightingale Foundation Commemoration Service at Westminster Abbey in her role as the Deputy Colonel in Chief of the Royal Army Medical Service. She has held the title, along with Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, since 2024.

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