Duchess Sophie’s Chat With a 105-Year-Old Navy Veteran Takes a Surprising Turn She Did Not Expect
Duchess Sophie met a remarkable war veteran this week whose life story spans some of the darkest chapters of World War II. On August 12, Sophie visited 105-year-old James 'Jim' Wren at his care home in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Wren, a former Royal Marine, served during the war and survived both the sinking of HMS Repulse in 1941 and more than three years as a prisoner of war in Japan.
NEW: The Duchess of Edinburgh has met 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran, Jim Wren, who survived the sinking of HMS Repulse, and endured brutal treatment as a prisoner of war - captured by Japan.
— Cameron Walker (@CameronDLWalker) August 12, 2025
Jim tells Sophie that the Royal Navy wasn’t his first choice of service.#VJDay80 pic.twitter.com/W2CRrCoaRM
The Duchess, 60, made the stop in her role as patron of The Java Far East Prisoner of War Club 1942, PEOPLE reported. During their chat, Sophie asked Wren what first attracted him to the Navy. His unexpected answer, was, “Nothing attracted me to the Navy, I didn’t want to be in the Navy,” sparked laughter around the room. Sophie smiled and replied, “Fair enough!” Wren went on to share how, at 19, he first tried to enlist and eventually joined the Royal Marines through his uncle. Over tea and cake, he told Sophie about life at sea, the day HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese torpedoes, and his years in captivity before being freed at the end of the war, the Town and Country magazine reported. For Wren, the Duchess’s visit was a chance to share his story with a new generation. His service has been honored at the highest level — King Charles even commissioned a portrait of him in 2021 for Buckingham Palace.
As for the visit, it was part of a series of engagements by the royal family leading up to the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) on August 15, marking the end of the war in 1945. King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum, while Sophie and her husband, Prince Edward, will take part in a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle.
However, noticeably missing from the schedule were Prince William and Kate Middleton, prompting speculation among royal watchers and some criticism over the couple’s work ethic. Meanwhile, Princess Anne, whose birthday coincides with the celebrations, was also missing from the calendar shared by Buckingham Palace.
The VJ Day anniversary, meanwhile, brings to mind other recent royal tributes to WWII veterans. Prince Harry, who served in the British Army for a decade, has honored veterans in his own way. During Victory in Europe (VE) Day commemorations, in May, he sent an Invictus medal coin to Ghanaian veteran Private Joseph Hammond ahead of his 100th birthday. In return, Hammond gave Harry a copy of his memoir.