Fans were left wondering where Duchess Sophie was on Remembrance Sunday as Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales reportedly made a “strong team” outside of this royal trio.
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s whereabouts at the National Service of Remembrance on 12th November has been a source of confusion amongst fans. We’re used to seeing Duchess Sophie alongside Queen Camilla and Princess of Wales on the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph below. However, this year’s poignant service was a little different as Duchess Sophie was not by Her Majesty and Kate’s sides.
Taking to social media, plenty of fans were quick to ask where Duchess Sophie was and express disappointment at how little she featured in the coverage, unlike the Queen and Princess of Wales on their balcony.
“Where was Sophie, The duchess of Edinburgh, today?” one person asked on X, formerly known as Twitter, whilst another echoed this sense of confusion, commenting, “where was the Duchess of Edinburgh today?”
Explaining the situation, a fellow royal fan replied, “The Duchess of Edinburgh was on the other balcony. The TV coverage didn’t show her.”
“Very disappointed the cameras didn't show Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh last night at the #RemembranceService at the Royal Albert Hall or today at the Cenotaph,” someone else responded.
This year Duchess Sophie stood on a separate balcony with Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, but it wasn’t the first time she’s been on another balcony.
Last year she joined working members of the extended Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, on the balcony at the Remembrance service. This was the first National Service of Remembrance to take place since King Charles ascended the throne. Before this, Duchess Sophie, Queen Camilla as the then-Duchess of Cornwall and Kate as Duchess of Cambridge all tended to stand together.
It’s not known exactly why this has changed in recent years, though it could well be due to Queen Camilla and Kate now holding more significant ranks as Queen Consort and Princess of Wales. Queen Camilla is now the highest ranking royal woman and Kate will one day walk in her footsteps and with King Charles’ reported desire to streamline the monarchy, his immediate family with whom the future of the monarchy lies have been focused on more recently.
However, Duchess Sophie’s absence from their balcony isn’t something that was only noticed by fans. Opening up to The Mirror, body language expert Judi James has reflected upon how the dismantling of the traditional trio of Queen Camilla, Princess of Wales and Duchess Sophie supposedly saw a shift in the behavioural signals being seen on Remembrance Sunday 2023.
"Standing apart, almost at either end of the royal balcony and without Sophie present to create the usual trio of royal brides, Camilla and Kate presented visibly as status equals here,” she claimed. "Their poses looked similar and their almost matching, wide-brimmed hats were both pitched at exactly the same angle, with this mirroring giving the impression of a strong team of two as they looked down on their husbands laying their wreaths.”
This “strong team” could be seen to represent the present and future of the monarchy and so it perhaps makes sense that Queen Camilla and Kate were standing as a duo. Despite this, Duchess Sophie remains an important working royal and we can expect to see her continue to attend major royal occasions and appearances alongside her engagements.
-
If you like the butter yellow trend, you'll love the even brighter shade Eva Longoria's wearingWe all know butter yellow is huge news this year, and Eva's hot take on the trend is inspiring me
-
How is Race Across the World filmed? Exploring how the BBC reality series is madeAn incredible amount of planning and logistics goes into bringing the show to your TV screen
-
Kate Middleton broke royal tradition on wedding day after she ‘had her heart set’ on key detailThe Princess of Wales isn’t someone who breaks with royal tradition or protocol a lot, but she reportedly did on her wedding day.
-
Kate Middleton is that you? Her floral dress, side-swept fringe and pink blazer deserve a comebackThe building blocks for the Princess’ signature style were always there in her looks and this outfit can easily be updated for 2025.
-
Kate Middleton and Prince William to spend anniversary in bittersweet location holding 'happiest and saddest' memoriesJust like King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales will mark their wedding anniversary away from home this year.
-
I’ve been writing about the royals for years - here’s what I predict Kate Middleton will wear at Easter (and what I wish she’d wear instead)All eyes will be on the Princess of Wales if she attends the Royal Family's Easter Sunday church service for the first time since 2023
-
Remember when Prince William and Kate Middleton broke royal protocol at Easter? Here's why it's unlikely to happen againThe Royal Family might be taking a more modern approach these days, but there are some traditions and protocols that they still uphold.
-
Kate Middleton's go-to bag for special occasions is a wedding season essential you'll reach for time and time againThe Princess of Wales always reaches for the same elegant style of bag for formal events and it works beautifully for weddings.
-
Kate Middleton declares baker boy hats back for 2025 in new Love Actually-esque outfitThe Princess of Wales's signature style is all about timelessness but that doesn’t mean that she never gets on board with trends.
-
Forget-me-not blue is the pastel Duchess Sophie always comes back to - it might've overtaken pistachio as our favourite this seasonThe royals love wearing a range of colours for engagements and visits, but there are a few hues that each of them gravitate towards the most.
