Duchess Sophie even closer to Kate Middleton in 'empowering' new role
In a hugely sentimental move, The Duchess of Edinburgh has been announced as the new Royal Patron of Girlguiding - a position which the late Queen Elizabeth II held for an incredible 69 years following her Coronation in 1953. Having already served as the organisation's President since 2003 and having a keen interest in gender equality, there is no-one better placed than the Duchess to take on the important role.
And, while they are already very close and have a great deal in common, Sophie's new move also brings her closer to the Princess of Wales, who has been the President of the Scouts Association since 2020.
Just like the late Queen - who was a Guide and Sea Ranger when she was still styled as Princess Elizabeth - The Duchess of Edinburgh has a long-standing association with the organisation starting early on in her life as a member of Brownies and she took over the role of President of the charity from Princess Margaret in 2003.
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On the new appointment, Tracy Foster, Chief Guide, Girlguiding said: “We are delighted and honoured to announce Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh as our new patron.
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“For over 100 years Girlguiding has given girls space to be themselves, have fun and be heard. Empowering all girls to know they can do anything is as important now as it was then.
“Our vision is for an equal world where all girls can make a positive difference, be happy, safe and fulfil their potential. As a champion for gender equality and a passionate advocate for girls and women, The Duchess’s support is invaluable in helping us to make this a reality.”
The decision to make the Duchess of Edinburgh the new Patron brings her further in step with the Princess of Wales, who became joint President of the Scout Association in 2020 alongside The Duke of Kent.
Kate - who was a Brownie when she was growing up - began her support for Scouts as a volunteer while living on Anglesey and has been "a great friend" of the movement, according to the organisation's website.
During a 2019 visit to the Scouts' headquarters, the Princess spoke warmly of her hopes that her young children would follow in her footsteps and join the community.
“She said she would like them to go into the scouting community because she loves what it stands for - that it’s a very open and inclusive way into life,” said Lauren Noble, who helped show Kate around. “She said it would be a great thing for them to get involved in.”
