The photos in this post are from September 12 – Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, went to a British Fashion Council event in London. I’m ashamed to admit how much I enjoy her outfit, especially her trousers. These are the most recent photos of Sophie at any photo agency – even Getty doesn’t have anything more recent. Why is that important? Because Sophie arrived in Tanzania on Monday and almost no one is paying attention to the visit, and none of the photo agencies or media outlets even bothered to send journalists or photographers.
The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, is embarking on a five-day official visit to Tanzania from September 16 to 20, 2024. This marks the first visit by a member of the UK Royal Family to Tanzania since the Duke of Cambridge’s visit in 2018.
According to a statement from the British High Commission in Tanzania, the Duchess’s visit is designed to highlight and celebrate the collaborative efforts between the UK and Tanzania in the fields of health, agriculture, and women’s empowerment.
During her visit, the Duchess will tour Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha, engaging with various international organizations including Sightsavers, Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
In Dar es Salaam, Sophie will visit the Magomeni Health Centre, a facility funded by the UK that offers essential sexual health and family planning services. She will also attend a reception focused on UK-Tanzania health cooperation, where she is expected to reaffirm her commitment to eliminating trachoma across the Commonwealth by 2030.
It actually sounds like a substantive trip and like Sophie is highlighting important work being done within the country. But the only photos are from the British embassy in Tanzania – they’re literally the only ones publicizing Sophie’s visit and the work. Keep in mind, when Prince Harry and Meghan visited Colombia last month, British journalists and photographers descended on Colombia and threw tantrums about their lack of access to a private tour. Buckingham Palace also openly briefed against the Sussexes and forced the British press to create a narrative of “the Colombia trip has no purpose!” All of that energy towards H&M… and no one thought to attach a press agency photographer to Sophie’s tour? I thought poor Soph was a senior working royal and the perfect replacement for Harry and Meghan? Huh.
Translation: Sophie went on a pointless trip to Tanzania at great cost to the taxpayer. https://t.co/5cKumpOCWe
— Graham Smith (@GrahamSmith_) September 17, 2024
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.