Duchess Sophie reduced to tears after recalling traumatic event

Inside the Duchess of Edinburgh's life-threatening journey

By Web Desk
August 10, 2025
Duchess Sophie reduced to tears after recalling traumatic event

Duchess Sophie 'burst into tears' after she relived a traumatic event during a hospital visit. 

For the unversed, the Duke of Edinburgh was in a life-threatening situation while giving birth to her and Prince Edward's first child, Lady Louise, in 2003. 

As per Woman & Home, author Sean Smith shared how the 'secret weapon' of King Charles overcame the most challenging phase of her life in the book, Sophie: Saving the Royal Family.

Sophie stayed in the hospital for almost 16 days, leaving the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, extremely worried that she had to break royal protocol by visiting her daughter-in-law.  

Sean said, "The Queen was sufficiently concerned that she broke with traditional protocol and made a hospital visit to see how Sophie and her latest grandchild were getting along."

The author revealed that the "memory of the trauma never left Sophie."

In 2014, Duchess Sophie returned to the same hospital, Frimley Park Hospital, to open a neonatal ward. 

Prince Edward's wife "burst into tears" when she met hospital staff who helped her in a difficult time.

During her visit, she said, "For the first ten years after Louise was born, I found it very hard to go to ‘prem’ wards. It would bring the whole thing back, but I’ve learned to cope."