Why King Charles Turned to Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie as His “Chosen Ones”
Why King Charles Turned to Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie as His “Chosen Ones”
Starr BowenbankSat, November 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC
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Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023, in London, England.Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie were chosen to step in for several royal events for the first time.
The pair were asked to fill in for King Charles in 2024 when he underwent cancer treatment.
The king is said to be getting “better,” according to Prince Harry.
While King Charles was undergoing cancer treatment in 2024, the monarch turned to a surprising duo to fill in for him during important events: his younger brother Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie. In an April 2024 report from Us Weekly, the couple was dubbed “the chosen ones.”
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, attend Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2025, in Ascot, England.Credit: Getty Images
On April 8, 2024, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh led their first major event by filling in for Charles at the 120th anniversary celebration parade of the Entente Cordiale — an agreement dating back to April 8, 1904 that saw the U.K. and France unite against Germany ahead of WWI and WWII.
Their duties didn’t end there—Edward and Sophie also stood outside of Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Elsewhere, the pair was joined by Her Excellency, the French Ambassador to the U.K., Hélène Duchêne, a move that signals Charles’s trust in their handling of royal affairs.
King Charles and Prince Edward attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Home Park, Windsor Castle, on May 17, 2025Credit: Getty Images
At the time, royal fans speculated that Queen Camilla, Princess Beatrice, or Princess Eugenie would be tapped to attend the events.
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Edward, who is the youngest of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s four children, was knocked down in the line of succession, becoming 16th, after Princess Eugenie welcomed her first daughter. While Edward keeps busy as a full-time working royal, he and Sophie opted not to give their children His and Her Royal Highness titles. “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living,” Sophie told the Sunday Times. “Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward on June 5, 2026Credit: Getty Images
While Edward was able to fill in for Charles at the time, the king’s nephew, Peter Phillips, said in a March 24, 2024 interview with Sky News Australia that he was “frustrated that he can’t get on and do everything that he wants to be able to do.”
“But he is very pragmatic, [and] he understands that there’s a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself,” Phillips continued.
In October 2026, Prince Harry gave a rare update on his father’s health, saying in an interview that he’s “doing better.”
on InStyle
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
