The British monarchy has undergone substantial change over the last few years, with the death of the beloved Queen Elizabeth and the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who left the UK for a new life in the US. 

But amid all the disruption, one hard-working member of the royal family has seen her star continue to rise – the Duchess of Edinburgh. 

Behind the scenes of royal health crises for King Charles and the Princess of Wales and the enduring rift between Prince Harry and Prince William, Sophie, 59, has been working her way up the ranks in The Firm – as a family member often dubbed the late Queen’s ‘favourite’ royal.

From attending glittering banquets to standing next to Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, her promoted status is made known in official royal events and engagements.  

But she was afforded the opportunity to move to the inner circle when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were leaving the Royal Family in exchange for a more star-studded lifestyle in Montecito, California.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are now among the few working royals under the age of 70 (alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales). With a glaring gap in the monarchy after the young and glamorous Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down, Sophie has become a key and crucial member of The Firm. 

This was demonstrated when Sophie was ‘promoted’ to the top table at the lavish State Banquet for the Japanese royals last week, where she was placed right next to Emperor Naruhito at Buckingham Palace. 

Emperor Naruhito and King Charles have a long friendship spanning decades and her placement at the banquet suggests that Sophie is well-liked and highly trusted by the monarch.

Although they are not known to be in regular contact these days, Sophie and Meghan are not dissimilar in their beliefs and have long championed similar causes, including ending gender-based violence and advancing girls’ education. 

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