King Charles III announces which two royals will be stepping in for him as he continues to undergo treatment for his recent cancer diagnosis.
While Queen Camilla has been pulling double duty for the royal family over the last several weeks, becoming the first consort to represent the crown during Maundy Thursday, the King announced that Prince Edward and his wife Princess Sophie will be representing the royal family until the King can return to his duties.
The couple acted as royal replacements at the 120th Anniversary Celebration Parade of the Entente Cordiale. The ceremony celebrates the 1904 diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that paved the way for their allyship and collaboration in both World Wars.
During the 15-minute ceremony, which mirrors the ceremony that took place in Paris, the royal couple inspected troops and saw the Changing of the Guard alongside the French Ambassador to the U.K., Hélène Duchêne. The Band of the Grenadier Guards played The National Anthems of both countries to underscore the relationship between the two countries.
ypically, Charles would oversee the special ceremony, inspecting the troops, but the monarch has limited his public engagements as he recovers. The last public event he attended was Easter, with Queen Camilla by his side.
Many royal critics seem unsurprised that Edward and Sophie have stepped into this new role with ease. Since Prince William and Kate Middleton have stepped out of the spotlight to battle Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are the only senior royals who are under the age of 60. The next senior royal is Prince George, who is currently 10 years old. Unfortunately, he will not be attending any royal events any time soon as he remains close to his mother, Middleton.
Prince Edward, the youngest child of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, has emerged as a prominent figure for the royal family, as all the male senior members have scaled back their public duties. He and Sophie have been filling in for the royal family, but the frequency of events has become too much for Camilla, who has already attended 13 royal engagements, to participate in as she assists in caring for her husband.
The first event indicating that Prince Edward would assume a prominent role within the royal family was his appearance at Right Stuff Amateur Boxing Club in Staffordshire, an organization promoting healthy social behavior among young people. Additionally, he was seen at the British Cycling National Track Championships in February and competed in a badminton match against his wife at the All England Open Badminton Championships.
Royal insiders have praised Edward for his “inner steel” as he takes on a heavier load of royal duties. According to the Telegraph, the Duke took on 297 royal engagements in 2023, the third largest number of any royal that year. King Charles and his sister, Anne, the Princess Royal, had the most appearances, respectively.
As more royals deal with increasing health problems and personal matters behind closed doors, it is likely that Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, will make more appearances on behalf of the monarch.
