Duchess Sophie is turning 61 today

Duchess Sophie may not have been born a royal, but there is no doubt she is a very popular member of the Royal Family. Since marrying Prince Edward, Sophie has become a natural at royal duty, carrying out many engagements each year.

Over the last few years, the duchess has stepped up more than ever before, especially for King Charles during his cancer treatment. This has been recognised by royal fans, with many dubbing the duchess 'Super Sophie'. This means that fans will no doubt be eager to wish the royal a happy birthday today as she celebrates turning 61.

Here at The Express, we have looked at some of Sophie's best royal moments...

The Duchess of Edinburgh married her husband Prince Edward on June 19, 1999. Their wedding took place at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle just five months after they announced their engagement. Before Edward proposed, they had been dating for a long time since meeting in 1993. Their wedding was a beautiful occasion, with many members of the Royal Family present.

Ever since becoming a member of the Royal Family, it is believed Sophie was very close to her mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II. It is believed the two women had plenty in common, and spent a lot of time together. Their closeness was shown in Sophie's upset in 2022 after the late Queen's death, with the duchess spotted close to tears on numerous occasions, including at the funeral and when looking at floral displays left outside Balmoral.

While being a royal can be very time consuming, Sophie has never let it impact on her ability to be there for her children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex. The duchess is close to both of her children and is believed to support them in every way possible. She also decided, alongside her husband Edward, not to give the children royal titles when they were born so they could enjoy a relatively ordinary life.

Since becoming a royal, and especially over the last few years, the duchess has watched her popularity soar. In fact, the duchess is so popular that she is sometimes referred to as "Super Sophie" by fans. This has been the case more than ever over the last few years, with the duchess having stepped up on multiple occasions at royal engagements during the King's cancer treatment, which has included on occasion giving a speech on his behalf.

Duchess Sophie is known for having a good sense of humour, and this often shines through at royal engagements. In 2024, Edward joined his wife Duchess Sophie on a visit to the Headingley Stadium on International Women's Day. During the engagement, they were each given Leeds Rhinos shirts. The Duke laughed as he noticed the shirt had "HRH 60" on the back in reference to his age. Sophie held her shirt up with no number and told the girls: "I'm much younger." This prompted a laugh from those around.

While often professional on the royal stage, there are some moments over the years when Sophie has been seen having a good laugh. These moments tend to be with Princess Catherine, the wife of her nephew Prince William. One special moment between the pair was at Royal Ascot in 2023, when the royal women shared a laugh as they watched the races take place. There are countless other sweet moments between Sophie and Catherine too, including laughs on the Buckingham Palace balcony and at larger royal events. As well as sharing a humorous relationship, it is believed Sophie and Catherine also have a good bond, with Sophie having reportedly been a great support to The Princess of Wales during her cancer treatment in 2024.

One thing the duchess has shown over the years is just how much she loves to get involved with activities at royal engagements. Just last week The Duchess of Edinburgh was seen taking part in a training session during her visit to England Hockey at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre. The duchess was all smiles as she showed off her hockey skills, even sporting trainers for the occasion.