Sophie in Ukraine

[Mylovelygreendress]

So much of what Sophie does goes almost unnoticed so good to see this visit being given plenty of publicity.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68922333#:~:text=The%20Duchess%20of%20Edinburgh%20has,children%20impacted%20by%20the%20war%22.

I was about to post the same thing. I think it’s really great to see she’s getting the recognition she deserves. It’s also a
continuation of her work of championing conflict based sexual violence survivors.

“It's true that women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human cost when it comes to the way that they are affected, the way that they can be used as weapons of war.…Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy, and we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening…I've been meeting with survivors of sexual violence and the conflict. I thank them for that honesty in telling me what happened to them. Their stories are sad... But I appreciate their time and their openness."

It’s such a worthy cause.

I was about to post the same! And she quietly visited a small charity - a horse rescue sanctuary where I was a volunteer, it wasn't publicised and there was no reason for her to visit so but very much appreciated.

I'm so pleased it's on the BBC. It's such an important cause. I liked that the article highlighted other places she's visited for this reason.

It's great that she and Camilla have chosen to highlight these causes.

So much of what Sophie does isn’t recognised. I’m really pleased this is. Such an important issue.

She looks very serene in the photograph, I’m also glad she’s getting recognition

Now this is how to use your Royal voice to advocate for women. I know she will have been well protected but there's no way I'd go into Ukraine for all the tea in China, she is very brave going out there. Hats off.

Good for her. She messed up back in the day, but hasn't 'collapsed sobbing' but instead learnt from the experience and used her position to steadily do what she can and earn respect

Sophie really has turned things around, she never wanted to be a working royal from memory but she seems to have settled into the role, and found causes that she is passionate about, and she does not shy away from the tough stuff.

I like the nod her dress makes to the embroidered flower motifs of traditional Ukrainian costume.

I was about to post. Sophie has to be one of my favourite royal. She does a lot of charity work but she never got the recognition she deserves (which is why I roll my eyes when people always complain that royals do nothing when the hardest working royals like Anne and Sophie barely get any shine)

He and Edward have run their own foundation for 24 years that focuses a lot on children. Just looking at the numbers, she's always been in the top 5 of the hardest working royals while raising a family (her youngest is 14)

She also works with a lot of charities supporting women's rights and worked on projects preventing sexual and gender-based violence. In the last 2 years alone, she traveled to so many places. She went to Congo, Botswana, Malawi, Rwanda, Iraq,... She spoke at the UN several times.

This is how you use your platform as a royal

This link covers her speech and visit very well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-H04ktbuq1A&pp=ygUZdGhlIGR1Y2hlc3Mgb2YgZWRpbmJ1cmdoIA%3D%3D

Have a lot of time for Sophie, I met her, Edward and the children when I was a volunteer at the commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014, they were very low-key, interested and friendly. The term "duchess of Edinburgh" seems very odd though as for so long we've just had the Duke of Edinburgh as Philip.

Loved the outfit choice too - a definite nod to traditional Ukrainian style.

That was a packed schedule in Ukraine! The work she does highlighting sexual violence as well as much else is really important and it's good to see her getting a bit more coverage, hope it continues. I think that like Anne, she is a model of how to "royal" in a meaningful way.

I too have met Sophie in connection with a charity . She was very well prepared , very friendly and overran her visit by more than an hour.

She’s really stepped up and is doing such a great job. I’m glad that she’s getting this recognition, (finally!) I would really like to see more positive stories like this in the media about the important work that the working royals are doing rather than focusing on the negative stuff and the non working royals.

I'm glad that both Sophie and the issue of sexual violence in war have made the headlines. It's a wicked and evil thing. Well done to Sophie for working hard on a low profile and very unglamorous cause for a long time.

The youngest child - James - is 17 not 14.

He's actually 16, I checked.

I don't know why I thought he was 14-15

Love Sophie

Sophie deserves more plaudits. Yes she did a stupid thing years ago, but we can all do that when we're young and not so worldly wise! I'd say she has more than atoned for that.

She is a shining example that many others (naming no names!!) could aspire to live up to, yet that very one chose to eschew Sophie's mentorship. Big mistake!

I have also met Sophie a few times, she’s very interested in people and everyone felt came across as genuine and caring.

Recall one of my clients from Ukraine recounted to me having met "princess Sophie" it was quite uplifting for him and other Ukrainian refugees.

It had little coverage which was a shame though I wonder if it would have got a bit more if Sophie had spoken about whether she was asked if she was ok?

Sophie is in Oakham today. Here she is looking exactly like any other school mum apart from the shoes which should be white trainers (lighthearted).

Why is she in Oakham? Did tall Mr. Broad go to school there or am I mixed up?

I like her non-plimsoll shoes.

I hope the MNHQ team don't take exception to me mentioning the tall
Mr. Broad. Am I branded as something terrible?