Duchess Sophie dominates royal family's social media

Prince Edward and his wife Duchess Sophie, who arrived in Malta on Monday for a four-day royal tour to mark the 60th year of its independence, have dominated the royal family's social media in absence of Princess Kate.

King Charles' office is missing no opportunity to highlight the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's dedication to the royal duties amid ongoing health crisis within the family.

The royal family's official social media accounts are sharing every details of the heard working royal couple's royal engagements and outings.

Edward, 60, and Sophie, 59, are seen meeting with the President and the Prime Minister of Malta in the photo shared by the royal family.

 Prince William's uncle and aunt also attended a Commonwealth reception at Whitehall Mansions, the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Ta'Xbiex, where they met local dignitaries and Commonwealth Points of Light Award Winners and Young Leaders. 

Sophie and Edward's royal tour comes shortly after Lady Pamela Hicks, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, appeared to "snub" the couple's work ethic.

India Hicks, Lady Pamela's daughter, claimed her mother is a strong proponent of a modernised monarchy.

Hicks told Marie Claire: “[My mother] thinks that it is modernising in a way that it should, and she absolutely believes in the thinning down of the Royal Family and making it this core hard-working foursome.”

Edward performed around 300 engagements in 2023 - finishing in third place behind Princess Anne and the King.

Meanwhile, the number of royal engagements carried out by Sophie has reportedly more than doubled this month compared to the same time in 2023.