SOPHIE Wessex has rightfully climbed the royal ranks, becoming a ‘secret weapon’ for the family.
And so it may not come as a surprise that Prince William, 42, has ‘major plans’ for The Duchess of Edinburgh, who recently turned 60, when he ascends the throne.
Prince William has ‘major’ plans for ‘secret weapon’ Sophie Wessex when he gets the throne[/caption]
Royal insiders have recognised the Duchess’ ‘prominent role’[/caption]
Sources claimed William would be ‘foolish’ to ignore Sophie’s role when he eventually becomes King[/caption]
Sophie is frequently sent abroad to carry out politically sensitive and high-profile trips to war-torn countries[/caption]
Sophie has become one of the most popular working royals who backs difficult causes which previously received very little global attention.
Not only does she have a close bond with the likes of King Charles, 76, Queen Camilla, 77, and The Princess of Wales, 43, but her wide recognition as a ‘secret weapon’ for the Firm has led experts to say she will have a coveted role when Prince William’s time on the throne arrives.
Reports that William will give his aunt a key role were provoked after a royal insider spoke to The Sunday Times and said: “They [the Waleses and the Edinburghs] get on very well.”
The source then added that they believe that the Prince of Wales will be “eager for his aunt and uncle to play a more prominent role in public life”.
Not only this, but speaking to OK!, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said: “By any measure, Sophie has proved herself to be a major asset to the royal family, and William would be foolish to ignore the value she brings.”
Whilst William isn’t afraid to shy away from challenging subjects like mental health and male suicide rates, Sophie is eager to focus on the difficult subjects of the eradication of sexual violence in conflict areas, female genital mutilation and gender equality.
Praising Sophie further, Jennie added: “She is dignified and elegant, and yet still the same Sophie she was when she met Edward: unpretentious, generous and with a natural charm.
“She has worked below the radar for many years, neither expecting nor receiving the publicity she deserves.
“Recently though, with the slimmed down royal family, the public have come to recognise how important the Duchess is to the work of the monarchy.”
One of the reasons behind Sophie’s impressive rise is the role she has assumed as a talented diplomat who is frequently sent abroad to carry out politically sensitive and high-profile trips to war-torn or otherwise troubled areas of the world.
She has been on tours to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Baghdad, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and, more recently, Ukraine.
Jennie recognised: “The Government have deployed her to use the monarchy’s soft power in a number of very delicate situations.
Jennie recognsied “the public have come to recognise how important the Duchess is to the work of the monarchy”[/caption]
“She is always well prepared and confident to take on more responsibilities. And she has taken on some highly sensitive issues in some of the most dangerous parts of the world.
“At just sixty, she is a relatively young member of the senior royals…so I am sure there will be a major role for her in the future, and King William will be leaning heavily on both Sophie and Edward to support the monarchy in all it does in the future.”
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s ‘humble’ start in life
UNLIKE Prince Edward, Sophie comes from humble beginnings.
The daughter of a tyre salesman and a secretary, she was working in PR at Capital Radio when they met in 1987.
Edward was dating her friend at the time, but six years later they got together after a charity event.
Sophie continued to work for a few years after they got married before finally becoming a full-time royal in 2002.
“I remember our first meeting many years ago when she was just becoming known as Edward’s girlfriend,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said.
“I was lunching at The Ritz with one of the Queen Mother’s ladies in waiting when I saw Sophie at a nearby table. I seized the moment and introduced myself which was probably very annoying for her, but she was charm personified, and we chatted for a few minutes.
“And I really don’t think she has changed much since then.
“Yes, she and Edward live in a mansion, have titles and huge privilege, but Sophie has known a life outside those cloistered palace walls and she has kept her sense of perspective.
“For example, she has told her children that, titles or no titles – and they have chosen thus far not to use their HRH status – they should expect to have to earn a living.
“Sophie was happy for her daughter to take on a seasonal job at a garden centre for less than £7 an hour.
“And during the pandemic Sophie served as a volunteer with the Royal Voluntary Service, talking with people on the phone to help them combat the feeling of isolation – and she carried on talking with some of them after the pandemic ended.
“She will also often travel under the radar to places like Malawi, Botswana or Ethiopia to visit projects dedicated to promoting eye health and preventing blindness, and she does this from the heart after her daughter Louise was born with a squint.
“Sophie is one of the strengths of the new monarchy – elegant, engaging and empathetic. I think people have really taken her into their hearts.”
Not only this, but in recent years, The Duchess of Edinburgh has proved herself as an engaging and empathetic senior member of the Royal Family – with many referring to her as King Charles’ ‘secret weapon’.
She’s also been seen as a ‘helping hand’ to Princess Kate after her recent cancer diagnosis.
Sophie has proved herself to be a major asset to the royal family, and William would be foolish to ignore the value she brings
Jennie Bond
When Kate stepped back from public life, Sophie was the first to take on some of her engagements.
“That sort of pragmatism, a genuine desire to help and support someone who has been knocked off kilter, is pure Sophie,” says a senior royal source.
Sophie has two children, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn[/caption]
“It really helped William and Kate, obviously in a practical way, but also knowing Sophie could always be relied upon to give her support whenever it was needed.”
And that support was extended to the Wales’s children, with ‘Aunt Sophie’ arranging picnics and play dates at Bagshot for George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six, during the times when Kate needed to rest after her debilitating sessions of chemotherapy.
Away from the spotlight, she and Prince Edward live at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17, when they are not away at university and school.
She and Edward marked their 25th wedding anniversary last year, and their love for one another was clear to see as Sophie paid tribute to him in a heartfelt speech in which she called him “the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and still is my best friend.”
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has supported Princess Kate through her cancer treatment[/caption]
