King Charles deploys 'secret weapon' in bid to keep Royal Family close to public

27 January 2024 , 23:00

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Sophie with King Charles (Image: Getty Images)

Sophie has the “common touch” and is a key part of Charles’ plans for the royals, says an expert.

The King is well known for his interest in slimming down the size of the monarchy to prevent it from becoming ever bigger and to cut its cost for the taxpayer. But the Duchess of Edinburgh appears to be very much in Charles’ thought process for the family due to the public perception of her.

Sophie has even been dubbed as Charles’ “secret weapon” for the way that she comes across as living a normal life and also carrying out plenty of charity work. She has come to the fore in recent years at difficult moments such as the deaths of the Queen and Prince Philip where she has shown to have a reassuring and strong personality.

Her involvement comes at a time when there has been plenty of friction, especially between Prince Harry and Meghan with other members of the Royal Family.

"It is so much more evident now that Sophie is a key member of the list of working royals. I think people have really taken her into their hearts, especially after she showed her obvious grief at losing Prince Philip and the Queen,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK magazine.

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"Her evident closeness with them was so much more than a bond – it looked like a deep affection for her in-laws. She was a huge support to the late Queen after Philip’s death, popping around and watching movies with her, riding with her.

“She has a common touch – perhaps because she lived a normal life before marrying Prince Edward. She connects with the people she meets and looks as if she really wants to chat. Sophie is absolutely one of the new female stars of the show – elegant, engaging and empathetic.”

Sophie is a patron of more than 70 charities and organisations including Childline and the NSPCC. Last year she made a secret trip to Iraq, spending two days in Baghdad where she continued her work championing the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

While there, she heard about the challenges facing Iraqi women and girls, and the ongoing work to protect and promote their rights, Buckingham Palace announced. The previously unannounced trip last May, which was kept secret for security reasons, was made at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in support of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), the Palace said.

Tim Hanlon