King Charles Sends Duchess Sophie to Geneva on Surprise Trip — And the Timing Raises Eyebrows
Royal watchers believe the timing is far from coincidental, with many speculating that Sophie's visit was strategically planned.
King Charles certainly knows a thing or two about staying in the headlines. Just 48 hours after Meghan Markle's appearance in Geneva on May 17, the monarch has tasked Duchess Sophie with visiting the Swiss city, all while keeping the details of her trip under wraps. Royal watchers believe the timing is far from coincidental, with many speculating Sophie's visit was strategically planned to rival Markle's appearance and shift the spotlight firmly back onto the royal family.
The Duchess of Sussex delivered a powerful speech at the Lost Screen Memorial inauguration in Geneva, calling for stronger online protections for children. On the other hand, according to the Royal Diary, the Duchess of Edinburgh is set to touch down in the city on May 19, with no additional details given of the trip. Despite the proximity, Markle and Sophie will not cross paths with each other, as the former was in Switzerland only for the weekend, with no indication that she is planning on staying for a few more days. There, she attended a memorial featuring 50 lightboxes displaying the phone lock screens of children who ended their lives due to being exposed to online harm.
The timing of both visits sparked instant attention, given Charles's increased reliance on Sophie to carry out royal engagements after his cancer diagnosis. Given that she has been dubbed the King's 'secret weapon,' it comes as no surprise that she was tasked with keeping the spotlight on the royals' humanitarian work just after Markle's impactful visit. Interestingly, she has addressed whether she, in fact, is the monarchy's 'secret weapon, ' telling The Mirror, "I don't see myself in a frontline position per se. That said, admittedly, there are fewer working members of the family these days, so I suppose more and more I'm becoming less secretive. I just wonder what they are going to describe me as next."
Additionally, Markle and Sophie have not harbored the best feelings for each other, especially after the former stepped down as a senior royal in 2020. According to the Daily Mail, when asked about 'stepping in' for the Sussexes after their exit, Sophie quipped, "What did people think we were doing beforehand?" In a separate interview with The Telegraph, when questioned about their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, she responded, "I just hope they will be happy." Her husband, Prince Edward, has said that he 'stayed out of it.'
And this strained relationship goes back to Markle having once allegedly snubbed Sophie's offer to help navigate the rules and traditions of the royal family. Royal author Gyles Brandreth wrote in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, that the late Queen Elizabeth once advised her to seek Sophie's guidance before marrying Prince Harry. He penned, "'Sophie can help show you the ropes,' said the Queen. But Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie's help."
