Is Duchess Sophie the Mother Figure Prince William Needs Right Now?

But the pair have also seemed quite close on other recent occasions. For example, during the Order of the Garter service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle just this past week, Sophie and William were spotted joyfully chatting as they departed the ceremony. They also tag-teamed a royal event together last June, following King Charles’s coronation, attending the Royal Foundation’s screening of the documentary Rhino Man at the Battersea Power Station. (Royal watchers were buzzing about the surprise aunt/nephew match-up, which felt genuine—and resulted in a PR win.)

As a reminder, Duchess Sophie is the wife of Prince Edward, who is William’s uncle and King Charles’s youngest brother. To say Edward and Sophie—but especially Sophie—have been stepping up lately in the wake of the king’s (and Kate Middleton’s) cancer diagnoses is an understatement. It’s also regularly been reported that Sophie has a strong bond with William’s wife, Kate.

Indeed, Kate is what brought the developing and public-facing bond between William and Sophie into focus this year: As William takes on the burden of caring for both his wife and father at the same time, Sophie is in the unique position of being a neutral party who can offer a trusted and listening ear. Not only does she know the royal drill of “keep calm and carry on,” but she’s also roughly the same age as William’s late mother, Princess Diana. (Sophie is 59; Diana would have turned 63 this July.)

This isn’t to say that other members of the royal family aren’t there for William, but there’s a relaxed softness to Sophie that, I think, sets her apart during a particularly trying time.

So, bring on the royal aunt/nephew relationships. Just like William’s bond with his cousins, they’re irreplaceable. The monarchy is a firm, but it’s also a family—and, in 2024, the need to find ways to lean on each other has never been greater.