Duchess Sophie beams as she undertakes key solo mission for King Charles

Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh, who is dubbed as the ‘secret weapon’ for King Charles, was given a crucial task by the Palace during the second day of her Japan tour.

Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie are conducting a series of engagements scheduled by the Palace until Monday. However, Sophie was assigned an important solo mission.

Dressed in a printed silk dress, the 60-year-old royal beamed as she was seen engaging with people as she visited the Ukraine Mental Health Exchange Center Tokyo.

The non-profit organisation is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees and evacuees in Japan. Over 1,500 Ukrainian refugees are currently registered with the centre. The centre holds group counselling, individual consultations and social gatherings for the all the people registered with them.

Sophie was captured taking part in a calligraphy language workshop at the mental health centre in the Shibuya Himawari and Kokorogoto Café. The 60-year-old enjoyed tea while creating artwork.

The visit comes over a year after Duchess Sophie became the first member of the royal family to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

Last year in April, Sophie met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, and gave them a private message from King Charles. She also discussed support for survivors of sexual violence in conflicts.

It was a while after this visit that Sophie was beginning to be referred as Charles’s ‘secret weapon’. Addressing her unofficial titles, Sophie noted that she would take it as a “backhanded compliment”.

“I like to fly under the radar,” she said. “It’s all very well being a secret weapon but if no one knows, maybe it’s too secret.”