This is a unicorn - a DM article that is well-written and informative. It mentions, of course, Her. Because you can't have an article about the BRF without a Harkle reference. But the comparison drawn is valid and it's not gratuitous. I've omitted the Harkle references, below, but have provided the link for those who dare.
The Duchess of Edinburgh's Kenyan tour has officially gotten underway, with a joyful Sophie captured dancing with women at beads workshop in Nairobi.
Sophie, 61, has embarked on a two-day trip across the East African country to highlight the vital role of women in both peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
On the first day of her visit the Duchess met with Kenya's President, William Ruto, at the State House in Nairobi to discuss the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership.
Sophie attended a lunch with leading businesswomen from the British Chamber of Commerce Kenya (BCCK) and also a Women In Leadership reception, hosted by Acting British High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr Ed Barnett.
Earlier that day, the passionate Duchess showcased her dance abilities during a trip to the Kazuri Beads workshop - as she enjoyed traditional music with the talented women who run the thriving local business.
The joyful moment delighted many royal fans who took to Instagram to praise 'lovely' Sophie for 'making royalty look easy'.
'Wonderful Duchess,' commented one user, before adding: 'Others should take note, that's a real Duchess'. Meanwhile, another added: 'I love how she gives everything a go'.
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Richard Fitzwilliams previously told The Daily Mail: 'Sophie has influence in ways that really matter, which Meghan could have been.
'It does involve compromise, but think what could have been achieved for an important cause she claims is so dear to her heart.'
Mr Fitzwilliams added that Sophie has 'proved she's the Royal Family's champion of women rights' through her continued commitment to advocating for women's issues and conflict-related sexual violence, amongst other causes.
Since the onset of her royal career, the Duchess of Edinburgh has deliberately focused her charity work around the importance of raising awareness of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and has championed the UN's Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
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Sophie's trip to Kenya came after a rare two-day visit to Somalia at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to draw attention to violence against women and how women can help to enhance peace and resillience.
As part of her visit to the war-torn nation, Sophie met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at Villa Somalia to discuss how women can help to enhance peace and resilience across communities.
She was later joined by first daughter Jihan Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to meet survivors of gender and sexual-based violence perpetuated by al-Shabaab militants, and received briefings from key local partners about the prevalence of SGBV.
During a visit to a Somali village in Lower Shabelle, the empathetic duchess spoke with the wives of Somali soldiers about the risk of violence and the array of personal challenges they face.
The following day, Sophie held a meeting at the British Embassy with Somali organisations and partners to discuss the array of gender-based challenges exacerbated by conflict, drought and a lack of resources.
She later visited a hospital in central Mogadishu to learn about the devastating impact of female genital mutilation, rape and sexual assault on Somali women and the role a UK-funded service programme has played in strengthening service delivery.
Sophie's east-Africa regional tour is seen as an ongoing commitment to her pledge to raise awareness of the issue of sexual violence.
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In recent years the King's sister-in-law, who is married to his brother, Prince Edward, has travelled to current and former war zones including Chad, the Congo, Kosovo, South Chad, Lebanon and Sierra Leone.
She has devoted much of her latter working life as a royal to supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and is passionate about championing gender equality.
In April 2024, Sophie bravely denounced Putin's forces for using rape as weapon of war as she became the first British royal to visit Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
In October, the royal visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to 'shine a light' on the 'weaponisation of rape'.
During her three-day visit, she met female peacebuilders working at the grassroots level to highlight their efforts supporting local peace initiatives and witnessed the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict, particularly on women and girls.
In June, the duchess spoke passionately about her campaign to highlight the plight of victims of sexual violence and insisted that the country 'must do better'.
At the UK's first exhibition dedicated to the subject, Sophie, who made the visit ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, declared that the topic was woefully 'under-discussed'.
The duchess spoke movingly about a visit she had made to Kosovo in 2019 and how deeply moved she had been when speaking to women about the 'shame and stigma' they experienced as a result of being brutalised.
A very nice article. Sophie has taken up her causes because of real concern and a true belief of finding solutions and working toward those ends. She's real.