Duchess Sophie makes history as royal family member

Duchess Sophie has made history as a royal family member after the Duchess of Edinburgh visited the Republic of Chad.

According to palace, Sophie visited the Republic of Chad, becoming the first member of the royal family to officially visit the nation.

As a global champion of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and a supporter of the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), the Duchess visited Chad to witness firsthand the impact of the conflict in Sudan, particularly on women and girls, and to help draw attention to the deteriorating situation which is impacting Chad and the wider region.

During the visit, she travelled to Adré, a town 400 metres from the border with Sudan, which is currently seeing approximately 400 new arrivals from Sudan per day.

At the border registration point for refugees, Sophie met humanitarian workers from UNICEF, UNHCR, Chad's National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees and Returnees, Chadian Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières to hear about their role in supporting, registering and relocating refugees fleeing the conflict.

The Duchess also met refugees, including women and children, who had recently fled Sudan.