Duchess Sophie was forced to intervene when the young royal fainted during a very public ceremony | Royal

Duchess Sophie was hailed as an “asset” to the nation this week after leading the Armistice Day event in Staffordshire on Monday, but it appears she is also a credit to her own family.

On Sunday, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, was spotted at the Cenotaph Remembrance service with Princess Kate as they watched the proceedings from a nearby balcony.

Throughout the service, cameras showed the Duchess, who married Prince Edward in 1999, supporting the Princess of Wales, including a shot of Sophie placing her hand on the emotional future queen’s back.

A royal expert said the Duchess is likely to have been a ‘tower of strength’ for the Princess this year following her cancer diagnosis, with the duo having enjoyed a good relationship since Kate’s 2011 marriage to Prince William.

While many royal fans were quick to notice the support Sophie offered the princess, it’s not the only time the royal family has been there for other family members in times of need.

In 1999, Sophie, who had only been married into the royal family for five months, helped her niece Princess Beatrice after she fainted on the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office while watching the memorial service at the Cenotaph.

The princess was only 11 years old at the time and looked at her father Prince Andreas lay a wreath during the service.

As she fainted, she was caught by Sophie, who was then the Countess of Wessex, and supported by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and Sophie’s husband, Prince Edward, who also watched the proceedings from the balcony. according to Hello!.

The princess seemed to recover quickly and was not injured.

Following the Duchess’s appearance on the balcony with Princess Kate this weekend, royal fans have been reminded of the wonderful bond they both share.

Body Language Judi James told Express.co.uk in 2020 that their relationship over the years has shown the Duchess has adopted a “semi-motherly approach” with Kate.

She explained at the time: “Many of the poses of the two women together show Sophie checking Kate’s face with quite strong bouts of watchful-looking eye contact, suggesting that she is taking a semi-motherly approach.

“However, she also has raised eyebrows and a so-called ‘ping’ smile, implying that she wants to make sure Kate is having a good time.

“There is some mirroring as the two women walk together, but it is mainly Sophie who projects the stronger signals of relaxed confidence, while Kate laughs happily next to her.”