SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

British RoyalsCoronavirusThe Edinburghs

The Earl and Countess of Wessex to step up royal duties in The Queen’s absence

RoyalFamily/Twitter

The Earl and Countess of Wessex will reportedly play a major part in the Royal Family’s public duties moving forward, as The Queen will spend the foreseeable future in self-isolation at Windsor Castle.

The move to spotlight Edward and Sophie more, which comes as the United Kingdom begins to relax its social distancing measures, was revealed by Russell Myers, the Daily Mirror’s royal correspondent in an exclusive on Monday evening.

According to Myers’s report, the Royal Family and its senior aides have drafted a plan called the Royal Task Force, which will outline how the members of the Royal Family will get back to public duty in a safe manner.

While The Queen will be away from public sight for the foreseeable future, it is reported that she is “more determined than ever to return when the time is right.”

The Queen and Prince Philip have been self-isolating at Windsor Castle for nearly two months now. Prince Charles and Camilla are self-isolating in Scotland, at Birkhall; The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children are self-isolating at Anmer Hall in Norfolk; and Edward and Sophie and their children are self-isolating at Bagshot Park in Windsor.

The Princess Royal is also expected to be part of plans to increase the Royal Family’s visibility as government regulations are relaxed.

The Queen, according to Myers, is keen to show a united front for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as life returns to normal and has been in almost constant contact with Prince Charles and Prince William as they devise a plan for the weeks and months ahead.

Edward and Sophie have been highly-visible throughout the pandemic, appearing on the Royal Family’s social media accounts to open hospitals, chat with the charities of which they are patron, and offer parenting advice on how to boost morale with their children and how to seek help if needed. The Countess of Wessex has also spent time volunteering with a range of organisations over the past two months and has helped at food banks and cooked food for NHS workers.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.