Duchess Sophie – the “secret weapon” of the Royal Family has taken on yet another major role to serve a cause that hits close to home.
As reported by Tatler on Monday, August 17, 2026, the Duchess of Edinburgh has become the patron of the Visualise Scotland.
Sophie’s appointment as the patron of the Scottish charity – which was first founded in 1987 with the release of her new portrait, capturing Prince Edward’s wife’s charm and elegance in a stylish ivory dress, with flared sleeves.
According to the reports, the beloved sister-in-law of King Charles III is believed to be delighted to become the patron of Visualise Scotland – which supports people with a range of disabilities besides visual difficulties.
The charity is known for providing intensive care services to the people suffering from disabilities in Edinburgh and East Lothian.
Expressing her thoughts on Sophie’s new role, the CEO of Visualise Scotland, Pauline Gray noted, “We are honoured and proud that The Duchess has agreed to be our Royal Patron supporting our mission to deliver outstanding services to people with disabilities through housing support, supported living and a range of day services."
The reason why taking on this role is personal to Duchess Sophie is the fact that her daughter, Lady Louise - who was born prematurely, also had a visual disparity.
In her 2015 interview with The Sunday Express, Sophie revealed that Louise' "squint was quite profound when she was tiny. And it takes time to correct it."
She went on to explain, "You've got to make sure one eye doesn’t become more dominant than the other."
"She's fine now – her eyesight is perfect," Sophie clarified.
The update on Duchess Sophie's new patronage came just days after her son, James, Earl of Wessex's academic update was shared following his A-levels exam result.
In an official update shared by Royal correspondent, Rebecca English over the weekend, it was confirmed that "Having achieved the grades he needed, The Earl of Wessex will be going to the Royal Agricultural University to study Rural Land & Property Management."
Regardless of the fact that many royals take a gap year between high school and university, the palace revealed that James "will head straight there without taking a year out."
