Sophie Wessex: Expert discusses ‘surge in popularity’

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Sophie revealed the Queen is keenly interested and appreciative of the work carried out throughout the Commonwealth in the field of avoidable blindness, one of the Countess of Wessex’s main areas of interest. The senior royal recently took part in a video call as the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)’s global ambassador to celebrate news trachoma has been eliminated in The Gambia.

During her call, she spoke with representatives from IAPB, Sightsavers, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as well as the country’s vice president, Dr Isatou Touray.

And she relayed how the Queen is actively interested in the issue of avoidable blindness as well as delighted whenever international organisations and individual countries work together to achieve something so important such as eradicating infectious diseases.

Sophie said during the call: “Her Majesty is so supportive of this kind of work.

“For her to have chosen sight as the main pillar of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust Fund during its time was so reaffirming.” 

Sophie was appointed vice patron of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

This time-limited organisation was created in 2012 to mark the Queen’s 60th year on the throne to honour her lifetime of service to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

The Trust ceased its activities in 2020, after it successfully completed its programmes.

The reduction in avoidable blindness and the creation of the Queen’s Young Leaders were at the core of the organisation’s focus.

Showing the monarch’s commitment in supporting the fight against avoidable blindness, between 2012 and 2020, the Trust provided access to antibiotics to more than 22 million people and surgery to 104,000 people suffering from trachoma trichiasis.

Sophie, speaking fondly of her mother-in-law, added: “She has genuinely taken a personal interest in that work.

“When I was travelling on her behalf, to be able to come back and tell her what I’ve seen, what I’ve learnt, the work that was going on…

“She loves collaboration; she loves it when people get together and make things happen.”

Celebrating The Gambia’s success, Sophie also said: “In our lifetime, to see something that has been so prevalent and has destroyed so many lives actually being beaten is wonderful.

“We stand in awe of what has been achieved.”

She also said: “This success is firstly about collaboration, but each success is a home-grown success from each individual country.

“Yes, the international community came together but it had to rely on each country to make it their own.

“Without the commitment from the top-down and the bottom-up none of this would have come about.”

Over the past few years, Sophie has travelled across the world to see first-hand the progress that still needs to be done to save people’s eyesight and to raise awareness and funds.

Sophie is known to be particularly close to the Queen, who often asks her to accompany her to church when in Balmoral or Sandringham.

The bond between the Queen and the Countess, who joined the Royal Family in 1999 upon marrying Prince Edward, has become apparent over the past few weeks, since the death of Prince Philip.

Sophie was sanctioned to speak to the press and provided a rare update on how the Queen was coping following the loss of her husband.

She also released an intimate picture of the Duke and Queen taken at Balmoral, where the couple is seen smiling at the camera while sitting on the grass.

Sophie is also said to be included in a rumoured plan not to leave the Queen alone during this difficult time, with the Countess scheduled to pay regular visits to her mother-in-law.

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