Duchess Sophie Stepped Up to Represent King Charles at Event Amid Calls for King to "Slow Down"

King Charles wears a gray suit and Duchess Sophie, who is wearing a white shirt dress and a wide-brimmed hat, touches his shoulder — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Despite fighting cancer, King Charles isn't slowing down anytime soon. The 76-year-old monarch is carrying on with a "business as usual" attitude when it comes to his royal duties, and as Queen Camilla told reporters last week (via the Sun), work "keeps him going." After finishing their state visit to Italy on April 10, The King and Queen returned to the U.K., but on Friday, April 11, the Duchess of Edinburgh stood in for her brother-in-law at a special event.

Duchess Sophie—who is married to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward—represented The King during the Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, where both Prince Harry and Prince William went through their military training.

Sandhurst graduate Prince William has stepped in for his father—and previously, for Queen Elizabeth—on several occasions through the years at the thrice-annual event. But this time, the Duchess of Edinburgh inspected troops ahead of the parade, filling in for The King.

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Duchess Sophie walking in front of soldiers at a military parade — The Duchess of Edinburgh inspected troops ahead of the parade on April 11.

Duchess Sophie wearing a blue coat and blue hat walking with military personnel. — Duchess Sophie looked beautiful in a blue coat and coordinating hat.

Although Sophie has attended the event on two prior occasions, it's more common for William to step in for his father. However, People noted that her presence this year might have been for a very special reason. The April 11 parade "featured the school’s first all-female Banner Party," marking a historic moment for the military school.

In terms of style, the Duchess of Edinburgh channeled Princess Kate in a periwinkle coat dress by Emilia Wickstead, adding a coordinating blue hat by Jane Taylor and pale blue Prada heels.

As for The King's schedule, Queen Camilla was asked by journalists if he had any intentions of scaling back his workload these days. Per the Sun, she replied, "No, I think he loves his work and it keeps him going. And I think it's wonderful, you know, if you've been ill and you are recovering, you're getting better and now he wants to do more and more and more."

However, she quipped that was also "the problem" when it came to her workaholic husband.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.