There are members of the Royal Family who generate tabloid coverage and there are members who generate agricultural briefings, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is the one doing the briefings, which is how she became the first member of the Royal Family to set foot on Les Ecrehous, a remote reef off the coast of Jersey, in 31-degree Celsius heat, this week, to learn about sustainable food production from local farmers who presumably did not expect a duchess.
According to GB News, which covered the visit, Sophie concluded a two-day working engagement in Jersey that included the historic trip to the reef on Tuesday and a second-day visit to Eyecan, Jersey’s sole charity for islanders with sight impairment, where she tested glasses that simulate cataracts, used a cane to navigate while wearing them, and was welcomed affectionately by a guide dog upon arrival, which is the kind of detail that appears in every Sophie engagement because she is consistently the royal that animals trust. The temperatures reached 31 degrees on day one. Sophie continued engaging with food producers in the sweltering conditions, because she is the working royal who does the work the others cannot be bothered with, in conditions the others would not have agreed to.
This happened the same week Buckingham Palace published an incorrect Court Circular entry identifying Edward as the Earl of Wessex, a title he shed in March 2023 when he became Duke of Edinburgh. The Court Circular is the official daily record of every royal engagement. It misidentified the Duke of Edinburgh using a three-year-old title. Journalist Richard Eden spotted the error. The Palace has not commented on how its own official record came to be three years out of date for its own staff member. Edward released a video this week promoting the Duke of Edinburgh Award. He was identified correctly in the video. The Court Circular used a different name for the same man.
The working royals who attract the tabloid attention are Charles, William, Harry, and Kate. The working royals who actually do the work are frequently Sophie and Edward. The Palace cannot remember Edward’s title. It can, however, publish two consecutive days of tax disclosures when the YouGov numbers require it.
When the royal family’s official record gets the Duke of Edinburgh’s name wrong, who exactly is keeping the record?
Sources
GB News: Duchess of Edinburgh makes royal history with trip to British island
GB News: Prince Edward returns to spotlight after Buckingham Palace’s error
