Sophie Wessex praises the work of OSCAR International

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Royals have stepped up to the plate to aid the Queen while she recovers from a sprained back which saw her miss the Remembrance ceremony in London this weekend. Sophie Wessex, the Duchess of Cornwall and Kate Middleton all stepped up to honour the UK’s servicemen despite the Queen being unable to attend.

The Countess of Wessex has spent years working to support the Queen since marrying her youngest son in 1999.

Sophie, 56, has stepped up considerably in recent years, spurred on by the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the stepping down of Prince Andrew in 2019.

The loss of three key players in the firm has put pressure on Sophie and her husband Prince Edward, 57, with the pair carrying out more than 500 royal engagements a year – more than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Their presence during the coronavirus pandemic, from batch cooking for NHS staff to helping out at a local vaccination centre, didn’t go unnoticed by royal fans either.

READ MORE: How Prince Edward will step up royal role TODAY to support Queen

Being an obvious boon to the family and reportedly favourites of the Queen herself has its benefits – but one other royal could stand in the way of their work when the Queen is no longer reigning.

Speculation has always been rife about the changes Prince Charles could make to the monarchy when he comes to the throne.

His idea of a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy has already been bolstered by the exit of Meghan, Harry and the Duke of York – even though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were to be included in his plans for a restyling of the firm.

Prince Charles had plans for the family to be modelled around a core: himself and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry – and plans presumably changed to involve the Duchess of Sussex when she officially came into the fold in May 2018.

The Duke of Cornwall reportedly held a summit with his son Prince William following the death of Prince Philip about what course the monarchy will take over the next two generations.

This leaves Sophie Wessex out of the fold despite the hard work of herself and her husband – and also excludes Princess Anne, long seen as the ‘hardest working royal’.

Biographer and photographer Ian Lloyd previously told Express.co.uk: “I think that Sophie will take on certain causes in the way that William and Catherine have, so they won’t be at the forefront but they’ll still be making a contribution and we’ll see them at general gatherings like the Trooping the Colour.

“By the time in 20, 30 years, they’ll inevitably be sidelined I would think because Princess Margaret was.”

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And as the monarchy changes, the public’s perception of the royals may also change.

Mr Lloyd added: “The focus will be on the direct line of succession because if you ask people what the monarchy costs, they will also mention the hangers-on.

“I think there’s a feeling that people don’t like the idea of a vast Royal Family and I think that’s what Charles is thinking.”

However, it could be argued that due to the departures in 2019 and 2020, Sophie and Edward may not be forced into a reduced role when the time comes.

One royal source said: “The question is whether you start off by deciding how many patronages and engagements there should be, and then work out how many people are needed to achieve them, or whether you decide how many people there should be, which will dictate how many engagements and patronages they can take on.”

The Queen also has great personal affection for her daughter-in-law, and would likely want to see the Countess continue her frontline role when she’s no longer around.

One royal aide described to the Telegraph why the Queen likes Sophie so much: “I think it’s because she never makes any demands of HM.

“When the Queen appears, even for private family gatherings, she will quickly find a crowd gathered around her.

“The Countess always stands back and I think the Queen appreciates that.”

Sophie also maintained a close relationship with her mother-in-law throughout the coronavirus pandemic, stationed close by to Windsor at her home Bagshot Park in Surrey.

The Countess said earlier this year: “Proximity certainly helped. Windsor is 15 minutes down the road for us, so it’s not difficult, and of course, because the children were interested in ponies and things – it was a natural draw for us to be there.

“We were very lucky that the children did have so much contact.”

Sophie is a patron of over 70 charities and organisations and splits her time between helping the Queen and following her own personal passions.

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