Last week, the Duchess of Edinburgh was in Tanzania for five days. At the end of her visit, Buckingham Palace finally handed out some photos of her trip, but before then, absolutely no one was covering it. None of the British papers sent a royal correspondent to travel with her, no local media covered her visit, and it was like it barely even happened. It felt like the British embassy in Tanzania was tasked with taking photos and explaining what she was doing and… no one cared.
Well, Sophie has been doing events back in England this week. I’m including photos of her events on Wednesday (a visit to Hale Community and Youth Centre) and Thursday, where she opened the Domaine Evremond Winery in Kent. They gave her wine and she unveiled some kind of sign. Honestly, if I was a royal, I would enjoy those kinds of events, and I always think it’s the height of privilege when William and Kate complain about it. Like, opening a winery and sipping a glass of wine is work for these people and it would be a vacation day for everyone else.
Concurrent with her events this week is a new campaign to convince people that Sophie the Secret Weapon is working very hard while several royals are out of commission. Tatler and the Times of London both had stories about Sophie’s “substantially increased workload” in September. She’s apparently already carried out 37 engagements this month. In September 2023, she only did 18 engagements. I get that she’s doing the “bread-and-butter” royal engagements, but you’d think that the royalist press would hype her events a bit more? Because I have no idea where she was or what she was doing for 36 events in a month. Or do they only care about her in the context of her hatred or love for the Waleses and Sussexes?
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh visits Hale Community and Youth Centre in Farnham Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom When: 25 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh visits Hale Community and Youth Centre in Farnham Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom When: 25 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh and Patrick McGrath at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill KentSophie Duchess of Edinburgh at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill Kent Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Chalk Hill, United Kingdom When: 26 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill Kent Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Chalk Hill, United Kingdom When: 26 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill Kent Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Chalk Hill, United Kingdom When: 26 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh and Patrick McGrath at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill KentSophie Duchess of Edinburgh at the Domaine Evremond Winery opening Chalk Hill Kent Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Chalk Hill, United Kingdom When: 26 Sep 2024 Credit: Cover Images
You would think, since there aren’t many royals around, these visits would get some coverage. It is obvious no one cares about Sophie, so the royal reporters don’t bother.
My guess is the king and/or queen decreed Sophie Who? and husband get no coverage.
But is the media not covering because there is no interest, or are they not covering because they’ve been told not to by BP and/or KP to make it not look like William et al aren’t doing anything?
That’s a good question. Sophie’s engagements aren’t a state secret or anything, they’re listed in the Court Circular. I imagine the interest in Sophie is about the same as for any of the royals who aren’t Harry and Meghan, but Sophie doesn’t have any power with the press. So, I’d guess the direction comes from BP.
“I get that she’s doing the “bread-and-butter” royal engagements, but you’d think that the royalist press would hype her events a bit more?”
Bread-and-Butter engagements are the most important engagements as they allow a Royal to make direct contact with the “real” people. With regards to Royal press coverage. Sophie does not sell newspapers and dies not generate clicks for revenues.
I like her suits much better than the more recent tradwife dresses, and her face unveiling the plaque is delightful.
They really should send awkward William out with Sophie more often. He is less weird and it gets her events more attention.
I agree on all counts. I like her outfits.
William actually seemed to have a little more energy and spirit when he did that event with Sophie. So yeah they should do a few more of those. Not all the time but a few more wouldn’t hurt.
Yes, it would be wise because she brings out something in him that makes him seem pleasant and likeable, which he REALLY REALLY needs right now.
But they aren’t wise so of course they aren’t going to do it >eye roll<
She’s always had a nice smile. On the other hand when she was around Meghan she went hatchet face and frightened the horses.
💯You beat me to it. Very unprofessional.
No matter what she wears there are a lot of photos where I question if she dresses in a dark mirrorless room, it’s my best theory on some of her choices.
That plaque bugs. I’d have to straighten it, I wouldn’t be able to resist.
They’re audibly silent about Mr Ed’s whereabouts though, right?
Like, they never explained his very visibe weight loss.
And I would guess that, in order to get Sofiesta’s engagement numbers up, they itemized every single event in Tanzania, and maybe even split the Evremond event in two? Plaque unveiling and wine tasting?
Edward has done events recently too. He just gets even less coverage than Sophie.
Oh, yes, they did! I just checked the Court Circular, and this is what they had for Sophie for the 15th of September:
‘The Duchess of Edinburgh this evening departed Heathrow Airport, London, for Tanzania.
Mr. Alexander Stonor and Mrs. Angus Galletley are in attendance.’
She went to the airport! And that counts as work!
Just like the Wails counted departure UK and arrival back as work counts in CC. Shameful lazy people.
If a Fiesta falls in the forest and nobody hears it did she make a sound?
😂
You would never know it because she isn’t getting the coverage.
She’s only mentioned in the UK press when she runs over someone’s granny on the way to her Court Circular event, or if they’re using her to hide other “working royals” behind.
Wonder how that weekend in Balmoral worked out for WanK…
Look out… don’t trip on that bar.
I mean, yes, I’m sure she has been “substantially” busier than other royals over the last few months – but that’s hardly the flex she might think. Kate and William spent most of the summer on holiday. Charles and Camilla have remained in Scotland. Sophie is literally doing just a little more than “nothing” and pretending it’s a big deal.
Poor charisma-free Sophie. No one comes, no one covers, no one cares. She could have stayed home, and the result would be the same.
Graham Smith of Republic says Sophie’s engagements this month are the equivalent of one week full time work. Yeah, hardworking Sophie. She’s such a secret weapon the press don’t pay attention to her.
And yet it is still more work than the rest of the family combined.
It’s so sad that she easily beats the “senior royals” work engagements combined.
This is what they consider real work, and this is considered busy. The bar really is in hell. Regarding the Tanzania trip, no one pays attention because what exactly is she supposed to be doing for the UK while there? The Rota have no interest in her and giving her media attention because it highlights how lazy William is. I also think since Camilla loaned her jewels that Kate usually wears , a lot of derangers turned away from her. Anyway, she’s more booked and busy than the rest of them, but still an utterly basic and boring mean girl.
Well, somebody has to work in that family. Besides Anne.
Seems like Sophie is destined to become the workhorse of the current generation.
What is William doing this week? Besides growing a beard?
I miss Phil. He could be counted on to get some attention. LOL I swear he used to shoot his mouth off mostly out of boredom.
I just checked the Court Circular again. (I’m having fun with that website! It’s a hoot! These people & what they call work!). This week–for the entire week–William had ONE meeting, with the Vice Chairman of Earth’s*t. I have noticed they never say how long they’re at any of these ‘engagements’ in the CC, they just tote up the overall numbers. The BRF spokesmodels went here, had this person come to them, and so on.
Her outfit in that first photo is just a no but I stan that bag (anyone got an ID on it?). Her style can be a bit iffy but she pulls it off most of the time.
And yeah, she’s out there doing the bread and butter other people should be doing esp when they can make appear in cheap ads and go to the ballet.
Per Hello! magazine, it’s the ‘Minuit’ clutch from Sophie Habsburg. ($319 USD)
She needs a stylist. That tiger-striped bag with that pantsuit is hideous, and those “heels” look silly with the big-legged pants. What was she thinking? Yikes.
That’s what I was thinking. That animal print bag is like something a third grader would think of, “I’m going to Tanzania so let’s do tiger stripes.” What is it with some in the BRF? There’s dressing conservatively then there’s out and out frump.
Kinda like Melamia tRump showing up in Kenya with a white pith helmet and jodhpurs for her clothing photo shoot. “The pith helmet is sometimes used to denote a “frontier” spirit of adventure and intrepid exploration.” (Elliot Ross, Al Jazeera 10/7/2018). No explainers for why she wore jodhpurs, or whether she rode her seat in the Jeep astride or side saddle.
They are making her out to be Anne’s replacement – dependable, hardworking, boring and out of the limelight.
Wearing a David Byrne style suit doesn’t give David Byrne style charisma to a charisma vacuum like Sophie.
I’m going to start calling her the Duchess of Fetchinburgh because they keep trying to make her happen.
I knew Sophie wasn’t super popular but what really hit that home for me, was when she visited my former employer last year in Canada and it didn’t make even our local news.
I only found out about it because a former colleague posted about it on LinkedIn haha
I’m not sure if you’re referring to Toronto western hospital where there’s been a large portrait of Sophie located on the first floor, but anyway here in Niagara region there was media coverage and small crowds turned out to see her, ..,more people were interested compared to William in Scotland recently lol but anyway Sophie was written up as glamorous while in Niagara on the lake.
Two things: remember, these are people who count shaking hands on the tarmac after you get off a plane as an engagement, so I can easily see how Sophie wracked up those numbers for September. I mean that’s two right there, for every trip: on arrival & on departure.
Second thing: look at that awkward hug with the guy in the vineyard! Apparently he did not get the message that these people are not to be touched, let alone hugged!
The real question is- does anyone even notice does anyone even care