How Duchess Sophie Stepped Up to Aid Kate Middleton in 2024

Kate Middleton and Duchess Sophie both wear black outfits for Remembrance Day with red poppies to honor fallen soldiers

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

published 20 December 2024

There's a reason that Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh is often referred to as Kate Middleton's "royal sister." Prince Edward's wife has shown her strength throughout 2024, during which Princess Kate took a step back from her public facing role within the Royal Family. Now, a new report has explored how Duchess Sophie worked to take the "pressure off" the Princess of Wales during a difficult year.

In a new article, the Daily Mail called Duchess Sophie the "unsung hero of Christmas," alluding to her seemingly unending support of Kate Middleton. "Whether singing carols or making mince pies, Sophie hasn't shied away from stepping up while Princess Kate has been making a gradual return to duties following treatment for cancer," the outlet reported.

Sophie's extremely busy 2024 schedule included attending the Qatari state banquet at Buckingham Palace earlier this month. Princess Kate skipped the banquet in favor of a small daytime gathering.

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Duchess Sophie wears a bright pink dress and matching hat and Kate Middleton wear a blue jacket with matching hat — Duchess Sophie worked to take the "pressure off" the Princess of Wales during a difficult year.

This isn't the first time Duchess Sophie's "sisterly" support of Princess Kate has been highlighted. Last month, royal author Ingrid Seward told Hello!, "They have a sisterly bond and Sophie is like the older sister Kate never had."

Seward also pointed out that neither Kate nor Sophie came from an aristocratic background, giving them a unique bond within the Royal Family. "They both had really long romances with their husbands-to-be and Sophie lived at the Palace," Seward told the outlet. "By the time they got married, they had more knowledge than the royal brides before them about what they were getting into."

"They have a huge amount in common having probably formed a bond very much at the beginning," Seward continued. "Sophie was there for Kate in an unofficial capacity because she had the same experience of being a commoner marrying into the family."

Duchess Sophie wearing a green dress and waving while riding in a carriage with Kate Middleton wearing a white dress and Prince Edward and Prince William in top hats and tails — "Sophie hasn't shied away from stepping up while Princess Kate has been making a gradual return."

Unsurprisingly, Duchess Sophie has already been described as the "Royal Family's secret weapon." Her continued support of Princess Kate has demonstrated what an asset she is to the Royal Family, which is likely to continue for years to come.

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Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.