Duchess Sophie was eventually “rewarded” by the Royal Family after her own attempt at a ‘half-in, half-out’ approach to public duties, according to an expert.

When Sophie initially married into the Firm in 1999, she had her own career which she ultimately had to leave behind in order to become a full-time working royal.

The late Queen Elizabeth made it clear in the past that there was no room for a half-hearted approach, which became apparent decades later when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to step down as working royals in 2020.

Although they tried to argue for a half and half lifestyle which would enable them to continue working with projects outside the royal circle, the Queen ultimately refused this request.

Speaking to GB News, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield explained: “Sophie has been coined the Royal Family’s secret weapon as of late.”

She added: “Her path was not the easiest one but she is living proof that patience is a virtue. If you work hard and stay focused your time to shine will come.

“She was under immediate scrutiny when she hit the scene because she was a self made career woman. A young woman, who was incredibly successful, she was a commoner.

“She looked so similar to Princess Diana when she was younger. So they were constantly pitted against each other when it came to beauty and fashion.”

Ms Schofield added: “She tried and failed the half in half out route. But unlike you know who, she ultimately chose the family. And despite some of that chaos, she was rewarded for her loyalty.

“So, I think that the King very much believes in the Duchess of Edinburgh and is so grateful for her contribution, we saw real leadership with her today.”

The Duchess made headlines this week when she became the first member of the Royal Family to visit Ukraine since war broke out with Russia in February 2022.

She made a powerful speech during an evening reception held at the home of the UK ambassador to Ukraine, where she spoke out about conflict-related sexual violence.

Sophie said: “Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy. And we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening. Where we cannot prevent it from happening, what we must do is put measures in place to support those who have fallen victim to such crimes.

“I thank them for that honesty in telling me what happened to them. Their stories are sad. I hear many stories like this, sadly, from around the world. But I appreciate their time and their openness.”