With a slimmed-down monarchy, there’s not a lot of wiggle room for the royal family to take time off. Royal fans want to see as much of Kate Middleton as possible, but with three young children at home, the palace might be elevating another senior royal to help ease the workload. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh is being touted as the next rising star in the royal family.
Sophie, the wife of Prince Edward, attended a high-profile event with Prince William on Wednesday night which had everyone buzzing about the implied royal family promotion. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that while this joint appearance was “unusual,” it’s likely a sign of things to come. “William and Catherine have a unique profile as the world’s most glamorous royal couple with enormous soft power reach,” he explained. “Sophie has clearly established herself as their indispensable support.”
The Duchess of Edinburgh has drawn significant attention for being one of the hardest-working senior royals outside of Princess Anne. She’s been praised for being the palace’s “secret weapon” when it comes to her work ethic — something William and Kate Middleton have often been criticized for. She may be outshining the Prince and Princess of Wales when it comes to the number of engagements, but Fitzwilliams noted that she won’t compete with Kate when it comes to her wardrobe.
“There is periodic interest in what she wears, but she and her husband Edward are not in the eye of the media storm. That is the way they prefer it,” he added. Sophie is going to lean into her “considerable charm” and keep her approach “low-key” since that strategy has worked so well for her. After getting the all-important stamp of approval from Prince William, all eyes are now on Sophie to see how the palace utilizes her for future events.
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