Duchess Sophie Just Released a Rare Personally Signed Message—and I Noticed Something Striking About it

Seeing Duchess Sophie fangirl over Team Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics was easily one of my favorite moments this week. If you recall, the women’s team won gold in the Track Cycling competition, marking Great Britain's first-ever Olympic medal in this event—and no one was more thrilled than the duchess.

Now—mere days after she was spotted screaming and cheering for the team—the Duchess of Edinburgh has taken to Instagram to celebrate their efforts, and I noticed something quite fascinating.

The royal shared a few highlights from her surprise visit and wrote, "As Patron of @GBHockey and @BritishCycling, it has been a wonderful few days in Paris watching so many inspiring sporting moments at the @Olympics. Congratulations to everyone at @TeamGB. It was a thrill to see you compete—you have done us so proud." The duchess then signed the caption with her first name, "Sophie."

The post was shared from the official royal family account, but if you've been following their updates, you'll notice that personally signed messages are typically reserved for King Charles and Queen Camilla—much like how Princess Catherine and Prince William share personal statements on their official @princeandprincessofwales account. So, what does this new post mean for the duchess?

Well, according, to Rachel Bowie, PureWow's Senior Director of Special Projects and Royals, this indicates that Sophie is becoming the face of the monarchy amidst Kate Middleton and King Charles's health issues—and the royal family approves.

Bowie says, "In the wake of the Queen's passing, but also the health diagnoses of both Charles and Kate, Sophie has been continuing her royal work, but also stepping up to take on a more prominent role. It's almost like she's the new Princess Anne—she's popped up at the Olympics, in Ukraine and been the face of major occasions—like the Entente Cordiale—on behalf of the King."

She continued, "The number of engagements as of late has proven her deep commitment to service, but also demonstrated her reliability as a core member of the family who is ready and willing to step up when called upon. With an IG post like this, it feels like the royal family is giving her a nod of confidence, but also expressing gratitude for her efforts."