A few weeks ago, the Duchess of Edinburgh carried out a solo foreign visit to Zambia. She highlighted conservation work being done along the Zambezi River, and she took a boat ride. The royal trip barely got any attention, and few British outlets carried the photos of Sophie and the elephants. That’s the way it is with Sophie and her husband Prince Edward – they travel regularly on behalf of the Firm, they never get much attention, and then their reward for working in almost complete silence is that, every six months or so, Sophie the PR whiz organizes an embiggening article about how she’s “a pair of safe hands” for the monarchy. “Safe hands” is not the same thing as “people not realizing she exists,” but don’t tell Sophie that. Well, the Mail’s Becky English wrote up another big piece about how Sophie is truly the best royal ever.

Sophie could write the royal manual! If anyone could write the manual on how to be royal, it would surely be the Duchess of Edinburgh. A former PR executive before she married Prince Edward, Sophie has an instinctive understanding of image and presentation. Yet her greatest strength may be her ability to make royal duty look effortless, loyal, hardworking and, crucially, unshowy. As the royal soap opera intensifies this week with the publication of Earl Spencer’s new book, Swan Song, and the Sussexes back on British soil, Sophie has appeared to float serenely above the drama, carrying out a five-day solo tour of Zambia.

Rebecca English on Sophie’s whole vibe: ‘Over the years Sophie has quietly set about cultivating a group of charitable patronages that she feels strongly about and, as a result, her personal passion shines through… The issue of sexual violence is something she has learnt more about during the course of her official travels and has led her to becoming a passionate advocate against it on the world stage. I’ve seen her give a seven-minute off-the-cuff speech on the issue, without any notes on the subject. She was seriously impressive.’

Former royal aide Alisa Anderson-Cole chimes in: ‘While all the drama is going on over the arrival in the UK by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the explosive publication of Earl Spencer’s new book, the Duchess of Edinburgh is putting duty before self, representing the UK on a solo visit to Zambia,’ she says. Even the non-arrival of her luggage was handled with characteristic good humour. ‘Typically, steadfast and unwavering in her support of the charities close to her heart, she coped with the non-arrival of her luggage by laughing it off and carrying on with engagements in her travel gear. Who could not smile watching her unselfconsciously dance with local women who have been treated for serious eye conditions? She is not afraid to show her fun side while promoting incredibly important issues like gender equality, education and nature. Once again she has proved what a huge asset she is to the King and the monarchy.’

The future of the monarchy: With King Charles due to turn 78 in November, the future of the monarchy is inevitably becoming more prominent. For Prince William, the crown is now within sight, even if his accession remains some way off. No one can know exactly what William’s reign will look like, but one thing is clear – Sophie has established herself as one of the monarchy’s most dependable figures. She could therefore become an increasingly important member of the Royal Family in the years ahead, a woman who understands that duty is as much about the unglamorous engagements as the glittering ones.

Practical Sophie: ‘Members of the Duchess’s circle have also often told me over the years about how much they value her friendship and loyalty,’ says Rebecca English. ‘And they rave about how “seriously practical” she is. One told me how they had spent the entire weekend trying to get their new oven to work. She came over, grabbed the instructions and had it working within minutes.’

English on how King Charles views his sister-in-law: ‘She and Edward are actually very sweet together,’ she says. ‘Although even I was surprised to hear her say, as they marked their 25th wedding anniversary, that she still fancied him in a uniform. That definitely wasn’t on my royal bingo chart! Along with Louise and James, they are a lovely little family unit. I know the King sees Sophie very much as a safe pair of hands and her growing closeness with the Princess of Wales will only go to strengthen the family in the future.’

[From The Daily Mail]

It’s PR by rote, just spending an entire decade emphasizing the same talking points, using the exact same words, over and over again. Well, Sophie did change up one thing – when QEII was alive, Sophie always told people that she was QEII’s favorite, and that they had a very special bond. Sophie even told people that the Queen wanted Sophie to get more attention! Funny, isn’t it? Even funnier is that Sophie feels like has to be deliberately “unshowy” because King Charles is a petulant and jealous man who throws tantrums whenever anyone else gets attention. But even if Sophie waltzed around in provocative clothing, making political statements and attending high-profile events constantly, she still wouldn’t get that much attention?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.