Prince Edward and Sophie’s public support is on the rise despite a “lack of fanfare”, according to an expert.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are senior working royals but are often kept out of the limelight compared to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
However, with both King Charles and Princess Kate taking time away from royal duties, it’s likely the couple will step in more when needed.
Prince Edward, King Charles’s brother and the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, was last seen at the British Cycling National Track Championships on February 23 with his wife Sophie.
And in 2023, the couple completed more public engagements than Prince William and Kate, with Edward taking on 297 and Sophie doing 219.
In comparison, William performed 172 public duties, with Kate taking on 123. Speaking to GB News, Gareth Russell, a royal author, said the couple’s public support is “only getting higher”.
He added: “Back in the day, in the midpoint and later point of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, you could have made the same case with the Kents and the Gloucesters.
“All four of them were in public life and they got on with it with absolutely no fanfare at all.”
Russell continued: “The Edinburghs are in that same ilk, if you like.
“But although they don’t get the media coverage that a lot of the more famous royals do, if you look at public opinion and public approval for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, it’s consistently high and only getting higher.
“So in that sense, even though they don’t get a huge amount of media attention, they certainly get an immense amount of public goodwill for their work.”
The couple share two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, who are also both kept out of the limelight.
