Duchess Sophie has been increasingly taking on larger roles within the Royal Family and stepping in for King Charles at major events—and this week, the Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time. Friday, July 11 marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, and Sophie delivered a speech on behalf of The King while also visiting a poignant memorial.
More than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered in Srebrenica in July 1995, and on July 10, the duchess visited Sarajevo's old town to learn about the role women played during the conflict. While meeting with a local female peace builder, Velma Šarić, Sophie—who is an advocate for women who have been impacted by sexual violence in conflict—heard the stories of the 25,000 women and children who were forced out of Srebrenica.
Sophie met with families who are still missing loved ones 30 years later, and along with Šarić, viewed the Mother's Scarf art installation in Sarajevo's City Hall. The Duchess of Edinburgh brought her own scarf to add to the clothesline, which pays tribute to the resilience and spirit of women who were impacted during the the war.
On July 11, the Duchess of Edinburgh gave a speech at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, which per Buckingham Palace, is housed in an old factory where thousands of people sought protection before the town fell.
Reading a message from her brother-in-law, The King, Sophie said that the monarch was "saddened not to be with you in person" on the anniversary.
"I have spoken before about the terrible events of 30 years ago, confirmed as genocide by international courts," The King said in his message. "Many of the individuals responsible are now rightly facing justice, but this does not absolve the rest of us of our duties: both to acknowledge the international community’s failure to prevent the horror and to do all we can to ensure it never happens again."
The Duchess of Edinburgh's visit marks the first time a member of the Royal Family has been to Bosnia and Herzegovina since Princess Anne attended the 20th anniversary commemorations of the genocide in 2015.
