Royal's unique connection with Princess Diana revealed ahead of key milestone

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, has been likened to the late Princess Diana for her courage with challenging issues.

In April this year, the Duchess paid a visit to war torn Ukraine, becoming the first royal to visit the country since the Russian invasion began in 2022.

In March 2020, she braved a visit to Sudan soon after a ceasefire was announced.

Ahead of Sophie’s milestone 60th birthday, royal expert Katie Nicholl has shared thoughts on her and Diana’s similarities.

“They were both blonde and both beautiful, of course, but there's also a parallel between the ground-breaking and often dangerous work that Diana did with landmines through the Halo Trust," said Nicholl.

She added: "Some of the work Sophie does is similar, especially her efforts to raise awareness for vulnerable women in conflict zones and for victims of genocide and sexual violence. These are tough subjects that you wouldn't typically associate with royalty. Yet, Sophie is breaking barriers and bringing attention to these issues just as Diana did."

Both Sophie and Diana have braved talks about personal challenges, with the late Princess of Wales discussing her eating disorder and the Duchess of Edinburgh opening up publicly about menopause.