The Duchess of Edinburgh lead an important conversation about menstrual health in London on Wednesday.
Duchess Sophie’s visit took place at Harris Girls’ Academy as part of her work as patron of the charity, Wellbeing for Women. The campaign aims to educate young women about potential health concerns surrounding heavy bleeding and period pain.
Although this hasn’t been a frequent topic for the royals, Sophie is not the first royal to take on the, often taboo, subject. Upon joining the Royal Family in 2018, Meghan Markle officially become the first British royal to highlight menstrual hygiene on her royal biography.
Meghan travelled to India – whilst she was still an actress on Suits – and later wrote an article on period shaming.
In her article, that was posted on International Women’s Day, Meghan wrote: “Beyond India, in communities all over the globe, young girls’ potential is being squandered because we are too shy to talk about the most natural thing in the world.
“We need to push the conversation, mobilize policy making surrounding menstrual health initiatives, support organizations who foster girls’ education from the ground up, and within our own homes.”
She continued: “We need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation.”
During her visit on Wednesday, Duchess Sophie spoke to those in attendance about her own experience.
According to a social media post on X by the Daily Mail’s royal correspondent Rebecca English, Sophie said that “sanitary products should be kept ‘out of the closet’ to encourage more conversations about periods in the home”.
In her tweet, Ms English also wrote: “She also revealed her own challenges telling students: ‘When you have heavy periods worrying about when you stand up from a chair. That’s the worst one’.”
As well as talking about periods, the mother-of-two has also been open about her struggles with menopause.
Sophie previously shared the impact that menopause has had on her life, including discussing that she suffered with memory loss.
In 2021, whilst speaking at an occasion to mark her patronage with Wellbeing of Women, Sophie said: “You suddenly can’t remember what on earth it was you were talking about. Try being on an engagement when that happens. Your words just go.
“And you’re standing there going, ‘Hang on, I thought I was a reasonably intelligent person’. What has just happened to me?”
