The Duchess of Edinburgh will follow in her late father-in-law's footsteps by backing an organization that's at work in over 80 countries

Duchess Sophie and her husband, Prince Edward, "could point the way" for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to return as senior working royals, according to an expert. Royal writer Richard Eden compared the two royal couples who are both keen to support philanthropist projects and have faced royal scandals.

Duchess Sophie, who is dubbed as the 'secret weapon' of the Royal Family celebrated big milestone.Her Royal Highness paid a poignant visit to the David Lewis charity on Thursday to inaugurate The Edinburgh Building at the organisation's site

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has been given a prominent new role as royal patron of Plan International, a global charity that supports children in some of the world’s poorest communities.

The Duchess of Edinburgh has secured a boost following the latest Royal Family announcement. On November 25, Plan International UK announced Sophie, 59, as its new royal patron, taking over a post that the late Prince Philip held from 2015 until 2018.