<p id=”par-1_34″>It’s been a rough few months for members of Britain’s royal family as they have been trying to navigate operating in a new slimmed-down monarchy with two key working royals out of commission. </p>
<p id=”par-2_66″>In January, it was revealed that <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/king-charles/?swcfpc=1″>King Charles</a> and the Princess of Wales (<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dont-be-fooled-this-is-what-kate-middleton-was-really-like-in-school.html/?swcfpc=1″>formerly known as Kate Middleton</a>) were both hospitalized. After the monarch had a routine procedure for an enlarged prostate, the Palace announced that tests determined the king <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/former-king-charles-staffer-explains-trouble-buckingham-palace-invite-revealing-cancer-type.html/?swcfpc=1″>had cancer</a> and was undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, concerns were growing and there was speculation about his daughter-in-law’s health following her abdominal surgery and lengthy recovery time. </p>
<p id=”par-3_60″>In March, Kate revealed her own <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/real-reason-kate-middleton-didnt-announce-cancer-sooner.html/”>cancer diagnosis</a> and that she, too, was undergoing treatment. With two top working royals needing to take a break and shelf their engagements, other working <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/photos-royal-family-really-didnt-want-see.html/”>members of the royal family</a> have had to ramp up their duties. That includes Prince Edward and his wife <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/queen-elizabeths-favorite-daughter-in-law-sophie-stuns-every-time-wears-tiara-late-queens-personal-collection.html/”>Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh</a> (<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/queen-elizabeth-ii-refused-give-prince-edwards-wife-sophie-wanted-wedding-day.html/”>formerly the Countess of Wessex</a>). </p>
<p id=”par-4_61″>Edward and Sophie’s commitment to doing as much as they can now and filling their diaries has undoubtedly been a big help to other working royals like Prince William and Queen Camilla. But attending royal engagements isn’t anything new for them which is why Sophie took offense and had a savage answer when it was suggested that they “step it up.”</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1200″ height=”984″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attends the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castle” class=”wp-image-3652953″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=610&h=500 610w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=1024&h=840 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=768&h=630 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=427&h=350 427w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=206&h=169 206w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=200&h=164 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=618&h=507 618w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-attends-the-Easter-Mattins-Service-at-Windsor-Castle-1.jpg?w=73&h=60 73w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attends the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castle | Antony Jones/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-sophie-s-sassy-reply-when-about-picking-up-more-royal-duties”>Sophie’s sassy reply when about picking up more royal duties</h2>
<p id=”par-5_44″>Unlike some other working royals, Sophie doesn’t command the spotlight and prefers to keep a low profile. However, she has done engagements on behalf of The Crown for many years, which is why a question about her duties rubbed her the wrong way. </p>
<p id=”par-6_53″>She became a working member of the royal family when she married Prince Edward in 1999. But in 2021 after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit from the firm and Prince Andrew stepping down from his royal duties, plenty of people started to ask when Sophie and Edward were going to “step up.” </p>
<p id=”par-7_28″>The duchess heard that noise and had eight words for those who were asking about that. She told <a href=”https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/06/04/still-family-no-matter-earl-countess-wessex-grieving-grandpa/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Telegraph</a>: “What did people think we were doing beforehand?”</p>
<p id=”par-8_14″>Sophie and Edward carry out more than 500 royal engagements between them each year.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-duchess-of-edinburgh-taking-on-prominent-role-in-the-family”>The Duchess of Edinburgh taking on ‘prominent role’ in the family</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1200″ height=”1121″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly the Countess of Wessex) attends the ‘Together At Christmas’ Carol Service” class=”wp-image-3652951″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=535&h=500 535w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=1024&h=957 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=768&h=717 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=375&h=350 375w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=181&h=169 181w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=200&h=187 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=543&h=507 543w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sophie-Duchess-of-Edinburgh-formerly-the-Countess-of-Wessex-attends-the-Together-At-Christmas-Carol-Service-1.jpg?w=64&h=60 64w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly the Countess of Wessex) attends the ‘Together At Christmas’ Carol Service | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-9_28″>While the duchess completes her duties with little fanfare, royal expert Jennie Bond said Sophie and her husband are becoming more “prominent” members of the royal family. </p>
<p id=”par-10_31″>“As the king calls on them to take a more prominent role, Edward and Sophie are showing they are very much up to the task,” Bond explained per <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/prince-edward-sophie-wessex-setting-32593727″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Mirror</a>. </p>
<p id=”par-11_30″>She added that they are also setting the “perfect example” for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis about how to fulfill the role of the “spare” in the royal family dynamics.</p>
<p id=”par-12_47″>According to Bond, “They are also serving as excellent role models to their great nephews and niece — showing that you can be a “spare” or even a “spare to the spare” and make a real success of working as a valued member of the royal family.”</p>