Inside Prince William’s bond with the Duchess of Edinburgh: ‘Supportive’ Sophie displays ‘maternal’ pride towards the future King as she steps into the void left by Princess Diana

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh enjoyed another intimate moment together yesterday – the latest in a series of interactions that demonstrate the ‘maternal’ pride that ‘supportive’ Sophie has for the heir.

Sophie, 59, is married to Prince William’s uncle, 41, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, 60.

And the mother-of-two appears to have close ties to many members of the royal family.

As well as her famously close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II, Sophie is also believed to be close to both Kate, Princess of Wales, 42, and William.

And this closeness was on display yesterday at the centuries-old ceremony of the Order of the Garter at Windsor Castle.

On Garter Day we see Ladies and Knights of the Order of the Garter – the country’s oldest and oldest Order of Chivalry – descending the hill from the Castle’s State Apartments in Berkshire to St George’s Chapel, dressed in white plumed hats and dark blue velvets robes, watched by crowds of spectators.

Among them, Sophie was as calm as ever as she watched the royal procession pass by, including the King, Queen, Prince William and Prince Edward.

As the royals left after the service, William and Sophie were photographed smiling and chatting to each other, appearing to enjoy each other’s company.

This exchange followed a beautiful moment the two royals shared two days earlier, during Trooping the Colour.

After the family appeared on the balcony to view the RAF flight pass, Sophie was seen placing a comforting hand on William’s back as they made their way back into the palace.

It followed what may have been an emotional moment for the heir: the day his wife Kate made her first public appearance in months, following her revelation that she is currently receiving treatment for cancer.

And his father, King Charles, is also undergoing cancer treatment.

When Kate and her father-in-law stepped onto the balcony on Saturday, they were met with a roar of support from the gathered crowd.

Commenting on the moment, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) describing Sophie’s gesture as one of support and comfort.

She wrote: ‘The Duchess of Edinburgh was always on hand to offer her support and gave Prince William a reassuring ‘you did it’ as the royals returned indoors after their balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace.”

Despite their reported closeness, William and Sophie haven’t taken on many royal assignments as a duo.

However, in June 2023, the two reunited to attend a screening of the documentary Rhino Man.

The film was produced by the charity Global Conservation Corps shines a light on rangers in South Africa who risk their lives every day to prevent rhinos from being poached and threatened with extinction.

And the two royals were all smiles as they arrived at the event in a black 4×4, which they traveled to together.

Body language expert Judi James analyzed the couple’s interactions during the engagement the Express that there was ‘something terribly moving’ about seeing William accompanied by Sophie.

This, she said, was due to the “look of pride and joy on Sophie’s face” as she looked at her cousin, which brought back memories of the prince’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Judi noted that Prince William was “never allowed to make appearances like that with his mother Diana,” so the public never saw the late royal proudly gazing at her adult son.

She added: ‘Sophie seems to be trying to add a subtle motherly touch to this outing and with William’s smile of undisguised delight it seems to create a very nice dynamic here.’

According to Judi, the ‘proud mother/delighted son look’ the duo gave off was ‘something William deserves’, and she said they both looked happy.

“Sophie watches his face closely and her beaming smile makes her come across as an encouraging, proud mother,” the body language expert concluded.

While that was a rare engagement for William and Sophie, the two have performed as a foursome on a number of occasions, accompanied by their respective partners.

At King Charles’ coronation, the couple sat in the front row of Westminster Abbey, next to Kate, William, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

And just two days later, the same quartet took the lead at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party, where volunteers from across the country were praised.

William’s bond with Sophie is not unexpected: she is known to be close to his wife Kate.

Like Sophie, Kate developed a good relationship with the late Queen and Prince Philip.

During the early stages of Kate’s relationship with William, it is said that Sophie offered her guidance as she embarked on her royal journey, meaning the two women forged a close and lasting alliance.