Sophie reveals her emotions on taking Duchess of Edinburgh title, as she pays tribute to late Queen Elizabeth II - and opens up on being seen as Royal Family's 'secret weapon'

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Sophie has revealed it was 'emotional' taking on the Duchess of Edinburgh title as it was previously held by her beloved mother-in-law the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina this week, the duchess said her change in title in 2023 'felt like quite a big moment'.
Sophie 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 title on his 59th birthday.
This was in keeping with his parents' wishes and in recognition of Edward's commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh 's Award youth scheme.
Sophie said in an interview with The Mirror: '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.'
She explained, however, that in practical terms her and her husband's role is to support the King as it was to support the Queen.
In her interview, Sophie also opened up on what it is like being seen as the Royal Family's 'secret weapon'.
She explained that she doesn't see herself as being in a 'front and centre' role, which allows her more time to pursue her own interests.
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.
Sophie has this week been in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a three-day trip to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.
During the visit, Sophie has met mothers of victims of the genocide and delivered a message from the King.
King Charles 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'.
He said: 'I have spoken before about the terrible events of thirty years ago, confirmed as genocide by international courts.
'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.
'I humbly salute the Mothers of Srebrenica, and all who do so much, despite their continuing anguish, to preserve the memory of those who died.
'It has meant a very great deal to me, in past years, to have met survivors, mothers and family members of the missing, for whom I have such admiration.
'Their extraordinary courage, compassion and dignity are a lesson to us all, and it is my hope that we may all take inspiration from their incredible resilience under such unbearable circumstances.'
Charles also spoke of taking inspiration from 'those who bravely speak out in pursuit of justice and those who dedicate their lives to rebuilding trust between communities for the sake of a better, shared future'.
He said: 'These praiseworthy individuals can be found from all walks of life, and from across all ethnic groups, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world.
'But there can be no shared future when the events of the past are denied or forgotten.
'Only by learning from the past does it become possible to share in each other's loss and look together to the future.
'Only by working together to find the missing can there be closure for those still seeking answers.
'Three decades on, it is ever more important to remember all those who suffered, and to redouble our efforts to ensure a peaceful, stable future for all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.'
He concluded his message by saying: 'Today, as we remember the victims, those who so tragically died and those who were left behind, let us honour their memory by standing alongside each and every one of those who work so tirelessly to promote understanding and tolerance between all peoples, of all faiths, nationalities and ethnicities, in the ongoing pursuit of a just and brighter future.'
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.
It was Europe's worst atrocity since the Second World War.