Duchess Sophie is preparing to step in for King Charles once again.
In a new update, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duchess of Edinburgh is gearing up to embark on a high-profile royal visit in the Balkans next week.
They shared that Prince Edward’s wife will pay a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina from July 10 to 12, making it a three-day royal trip.
The major visit comes on the milestone 30th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.
Srebrenica Genocide, also known as the Srebrenica massacre, happened in July 1995 during the Bosnian War, where over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb forces.
It is regarded as the worst and largest mass killing in Europe since World War II and is recognised as a genocide.
Duchess Sophie’s first day engagements in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
On July 10, which will mark the trip’s first day, Duchess Sophie will visit Sarajevo's Old Town, where she will hear from a local female peace builder, getting insights into the impact of the conflict on women and the role they play in reconciliation.
She will also have a meeting with the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina – an organisation that aims to find the missing and lost people from the 1990s war – and a meeting with religious leader, who play a significant role in promoting peace and reconciliation in the country.
Duchess Sophie’s second day tasks in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
On the next day, July 11, the Duchess of Edinburgh will attend the official commemoration at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, where she will read a special message from King Charles.
This will be followed by Sophie laying a flower in remembrance at the nearby cemetery for genocide victims, before meeting some of the mothers of Srebrenica, who lost relatives, including sons, husbands and fathers, in the genocide.
During the visit, King Charles’ sister-in-law will meet UK military personnel serving with NATO in the region, as well as the Commander of NATO and the Commander of EUFOR Operation ALTHEA, which maintains a Safe and Secure Environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Notably, this marks the Duchess of Edinburgh's first visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The most recent visit by a member of the Royal Family was by the Princess Anne in July 2015, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.
