The Duchess of Edinburgh continues to be a star player for the British Royal Family, carrying out a series of engagements in Surrey this week, on the heels of a visit to Tanzania and ahead of more engagements overseas.
Sophie has reportedly doubled her engagement rate in September this year, and her day spent in Surrey added three more to the tally.
The royal began her day at the Hale Youth & Community Centre, a facility that provides community support and initiatives for young people in the community. During her visit, Sophie got her hands dirty in the garden, helping plant bulbs, before heading inside to play with some of the younger kids at the facility.
Next, Sophie visited the Mane Chance Sanctuary, which had welcomed young people taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to help groom and feed the horses.
The Sanctuary partners with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, of which Sophie is an Ambassador, to help them achieve their volunteer hours.
The Sanctuary posted on its social media accounts that Sophie “was incredibly kind, taking time to talk to everyone and to really understand what we do. She was so very gentle with our animals who appreciated her cuddles, scratches and treats.”
Finally, Sophie paid a visit to Parity for Disability to take part in cake decorating and other sensory activities with the students at the facilities.
Sophie’s invite came in a roundabout way: she had initially been invited by a young man named Nick to view a pasta version of Buckingham Palace that he has been working on.
During her visit, Sophie met with students and learned about the ‘eye gaze’ machine that some use to talk. She was also very impressed by the pasta Buckingham Palace.
Parity for Disability wrote on their social media: “An unforgettable day that highlighted the achievements of all Parity students and our skilled, dedicated staff.”
The Duchess of Edinburgh has carried out 37 engagements so far in September, compared to the 18 she had on the books last year.
