The Duchess of Edinburgh said it was “emotional” to assume her new title, as it had previously been held by her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
During a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, Sophie discussed both her work and the personal significance of becoming the Duchess of Edinburgh in an interview with the Mirror.
She was formerly the Countess of Wessex, but became the Duchess of Edinburgh after the King handed her husband Edward, Charles’ youngest brother, their late father’s Duke of Edinburgh title on his 59th birthday in 2023.
This was in keeping with his parents’ wishes and in recognition of Edward’s commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award youth scheme.
The duchess told the paper that her change in title “felt like quite a big moment” as the late Queen had previously held the same one.
She said: “First of all, it was quite large shoes to fill because not as many of the population alive today will remember, but the Queen was Duchess of Edinburgh for the first few years when she and my father-in-law first married.
“For me, it was quite an emotional thing to sort of step into her shoes [as being Duchess of Edinburgh], it felt like quite a big moment.
“But of course being practical my role and my husband’s role is to support the King as it was to support the Queen and we are fortunate because we are able to not be in front and centre role, so it allows us the flexibility to explore our own interests and then also be available to do things like this where the King asked if I would represent him here, it so happens it also covering an area of interest personally for me too. But yes, we are there to support and that will continue.”
On being described as the royal family’s secret weapon, Sophie said: “I like to fly under the radar.
“It’s all very well being a secret weapon, but if no one knows, maybe it’s too secret.”
“I suppose I should take it as a backhanded compliment,” she added.
“I don’t see myself in a frontline position per se, that said, admittedly, there are fewer working members of the family these days, so I suppose more and more I’m becoming less secretive.
“I just wonder what they are going to describe me as next.”
During the visit, Sophie met mothers of victims of the genocide and delivered a message from the King in which he said he was “greatly saddened” not to be there in person, adding that he is “most touched and grateful to be able to share these words as we pay our respects”.
More than 8,000 men and boys were killed on July 11 1995, by Bosnian Serb forces amid the break-up of the former Yugoslavia – Europe’s worst atrocity since the Second World War.
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