SPOTLIGHT ON SOPHIE!
While the limelight has been firmly fixed on Charles and his children, another royal who beavers away with little fanfare is finally starting to get recognition for her hard work.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex has been featuring prominently on the royal family’s Twitter page of late, with many posts dedicated to official engagements she carries out. Some speculate that the extra attention suggests she may be taking on a larger role in The Firm following the departure of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
“Sophie has stayed in the background while everyone has focused on Kate and Meghan,” says a royal source. “But now it feels like the palace is trying to build her profile by promoting what she does in greater depth. And one of her most recent engagements had a very Meghan ‘feel’ to it.”
That was an event organised by the Women’s Network Forum. The organisation, which promotes equality in the workplace, is exactly the kind of cause Meghan has been passionate about supporting and may get more publicity now that Sophie has stepped further into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, the royals also seemed keen to get the message out about a whirlwind two-day trip Sophie took to Sierra Leone last month. There were numerous updates when she visited the African nation to learn about the work being done there to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict.
She visited health clinics and schools and although the royals frown on family members appearing in selfies, they didn’t seem to mind when Sophie posed for one with staff from a maternity clinic. The photo was even published on the royal family Twitter page.
“She’s long been a favourite of the Queen and I would not be surprised if this extra publicity is part of a push for people to see what a valuable asset she is,” says the insider.