The Duchess of Edinburgh has long been regarded as the Royal family’s most dependable figure.
So much so, she and Prince Edward were entrusted with undertaking a crucial visit to Japan last week to bolster Britain’s relations with the nation. But alongside being a reliable representative of King Charles, the duchess is particularly esteemed by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Sources indicate that when William eventually takes the throne, his Aunt Sophie will play a pivotal role in supporting him and his wife Kate – something she will undoubtedly welcome. The two women have developed a close friendship – with both having experienced middle-class backgrounds before marrying into the Royal family and establishing important positions, reports the Mirror.
And Kate is said to quietly respect Sophie for how she and Edward have raised their two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and their 17-year-old son James, Earl of Wessex – as she brings up Royal children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
At Royal occasions, the two Royal women have frequently been spotted sharing laughs or chuckling together – as witnessed on Garter Day earlier this year, when they beamed with pride watching their husbands participate in the historic procession.
But Sophie doesn’t just add levity to events when accompanying Kate, she’s also present to provide comfort following a “brutal” year for the princess and her family. Last November, on Remembrance Sunday, Kate made a rare appearance at the Cenotaph after completing her chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Sophie was seen offering comfort by placing a reassuring hand on her back. Then, at Kate’s Christmas Carol concert in December, Sophie sat next to the princess during the emotional service.
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Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond remarked: “It’s sometimes hard to remember that Sophie is Catherine’s aunt by marriage, they seem more like sisters. I think they have a real mutual affection and friendship.
“Sophie has been there for Catherine from the start as a mentor and perhaps someone she can share the peculiar ups and downs of royal life with. They are two women who have come from middle-class backgrounds to assume uniquely senior roles in the life of the nation.
“I think William will be very grateful to have Edward and Sophie alongside when the time comes for him to be King. With no Harry to lean on, he will appreciate the support of his uncle and aunt, and be grateful that they are willing to bear their share of the considerable workload.”
Sophie’s recent trip to Japan, where she undertook a series of engagements in Tokyo and Osaka, highlights her increasingly prominent role on the international stage.
Earlier this year, she took on the role of representing the King in Bosnia to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. Her other duties have taken her to Ukraine and Iraq, where she has been an advocate for women and provided support to victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
Jennie believes there’s a straightforward reason why Sophie’s international profile has grown significantly in recent times. She told OK!: “Sophie is very down-to-earth – and that’s one reason why she’s so popular with the public- and with the royal family. She is trusted by them and has proven she can handle a consistent round of Royal duties – many of them without any great fanfare or fuss. She is a safe pair of hands, and she’s a very charming woman as well.”
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Last week, while in Japan, Sophie and Edward visited the UK and Japanese Pavilions at Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai. As the largest international event in Japan this decade, the goal was to unite people and innovations from around the globe to tackle global issues.
However, this meant that the couple were not present at Windsor Castle for the high-profile state visit to the UK by US President Donald Trump, which occupied most of the other working royals.
Jennie explains: “The four-day trip has been all about strengthening bilateral relations. The engagements themselves were less important than the fact that two senior royals travelled over to cement the post-war friendship between the UK and Japan.
“The Japanese Imperial House is recognised as the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world and commands deep respect.
“I remember going to Tokyo with Diana, Princess of Wales, in the 1990s. The crowds were enthusiastic and curious: they loved her comparatively down-to-earth attitude. The princess herself performed the deepest curtsy I’ve ever seen when she met the Emperor.
“The trip also saw Sophie take part in outings that resonate with her passion for empowering women and making sure their voices are heard. It is all part of her hard-hitting and often gritty work highlighting the plight of women, including that of the survivors of sexual violence in conflict, which she’s admitted in the past are “not easy subject matters”.
In recent years, palace insiders and charity leaders have praised Sophie as a reliable presence within the streamlined working monarchy – earning her the frequently-used label of being the Royal family’s “secret weapon”.
Given her role globe-trotting and confronting challenging issues directly, Sophie acknowledged in a conversation with OK! earlier this year that occasionally it can “take its toll on emotions, that’s for sure”. She said: “I hope that I make a difference. It’s very hard because sometimes these issues are very overwhelming because of the scale.
“But of course being practical, my role and my husband’s role is to support the King as it was to support the Queen and we are fortunate because we are able to not be in a front and centre role, so it allows us the flexibility to explore our own interests.
“And reacting to her description as the royals’ “secret weapon”, she also revealed: “I like to fly under the radar. It’s all very well being a secret weapon but if no one knows, maybe it’s too secret.
“However, after a pause, she added, “I suppose I should take it as a backhanded compliment. I don’t see myself in a frontline position per se, that said, admittedly there are fewer working members of the family these days so I suppose more and more I’m becoming less secretive. I just wonder what they are going to describe me as next!
“Sophie’s increased visibility lately has been somewhat unintentional and emerges as the streamlined monarchy has appeared more reduced than anticipated with fewer active royals available. This situation arose following Harry and Meghan’s exit from Royal duties in 2020, which came after Prince Andrew withdrew from public engagements in 2019.
Jennie commented: “Almost by default, Edward and Sophie have become increasingly important to the future of the monarchy. “With no Andrew and no Harry, the King’s little brother and his wife are now integral to the work of the monarchy.”
In a different scenario they might have expected to play a relatively minor role, but with the working royals now so thin on the ground, Edward and Sophie have full-time, high-profile jobs.”
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