The Duchess of Edinburgh shares a hug with a friend who just happens to be a princess

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have had a busy visit to Japan with their trip taking them to Tokyo and Osaka.

Sophie also had warm meeting with an old friend who happens to be a princess.

The Duchess caught up with Princess Takamado, who she has known for several years.

The Imperial Princess is the widow of Norihito, Prince Takamado who passed away in 2002. She is an active member of the Japanese Imperial Family who often travels abroad to represent the Emperor, including several trips to Canada and Ireland. 

Meeting in Osaka, the Duchess and the Princess shared a hug. Princess Takamado has been friends with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for many years; the trio attended many of the same royal weddings and events and frequently cross paths. 

The pair chatted before leaving to go to the Women’s Pavilion at EXPO 2025. Hosted in collaboration with Cartier, the Women’s Pavillion explores women’s empowerment, gender equality, and the importance of gender work across all industries. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh also attended a UN Women Panel where she gave the opening remarks. She touched on UN Women’s work across the globe and spoke on why gender equality is such an important topic. 

The start of their visit took Edward and Sophie to Tokyo where they were met by the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the Imperial Palace. The royal trip to Japan follows an historic State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the UK last year.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were also greeted by Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino during their time in Tokyo.

There was a reminder of a State Visit to Japan by Queen Elizabeth II when Edward and Sophie arrived at Akasaka Residence. There, they planted an oak sapling grown from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth II during the state visit in 1975.

The trip has been packed with the couple meeting school children including some who gave them a tour of the ancient monastic site at Koyasan. The young people are part of an English learning programme, supported by the British Council, which helps welcome international visits to Koyasan which has been a site of Shingon Buddhism in Japan for over 1,200 years.