The Royal Family looks much different during the reign of King Charles III. Gone are the days of a packed balcony with extended cousins at Trooping the Colour as The King places his focus on a smaller core group of working royals. A slimmer monarchy, however, means a very slim number of people to rely on—and there's one member of the Royal Family the late Queen was said to be especially fond of bringing into the spotlight.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold—speaking on behalf of Prime Casino—shared that as The King ages and battles cancer, he's "starting to be practical about the future." There's one person who has stepped up to the plate time and time again in recent days, and that's Prince Edward's wife, Duchess Sophie.
"She’s always been very close to him, and to Queen Elizabeth as well," Harrold said of the Duchess of Edinburgh. "Both Sophie and Edward have long had strong ties within the family, and the Queen was reportedly keen for Sophie to take on a more prominent role in royal life."
The duchess, who married Prince Edward in 1999, shared a particularly close relationship with her late mother-in-law and was said to be the late Queen's "true favorite." Sophie also serves as a big sister figure to Princess Kate, and is understood to have been a huge support as the Princess of Wales fought cancer last year.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has already filled in for her brother-in-law The King at several events over the past year—including the Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in April—and Harrold continued that Edward and Sophie will continue to become "more visible."
Older members of the Royal Family, like the Kents and Gloucesters, are quickly aging out of duties. And with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew all having stepped down as senior royals, there aren't many options to spread the work around, Harrold noted.
"The King, understandably, can’t do everything, especially as his treatment continues," the former butler shared. "Catherine is still recovering, Anne is already one of the hardest-working royals, and the children are far too young to be involved." He added, "That really leaves Edward and Sophie as key figures."
