Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

[Ginger]

The victim's family say they blame police, not Sophie. The Daily Mail

During a visit to the scene of the tragedy, Mrs Holland's grieving son Martin sought to show his support for Sophie, as he declared: 'It’s not Sophie’s fault. We don’t blame her – the police did it.'

The heartbroken 57-year-old added: 'This is not anti-royal, no way. My mother loved the royals.'

Mr Holland, a project director for a building firm, has been calling for reforms to police escorts since the horrifying collision.

He said: ‘It’s outriders going at high speed to stop traffic at lights [before the VIP sweeps through]. They’ve got to think of a better way.

‘I know the royals need to be protected but they need to do it so it doesn’t endanger the public.'

And in a related incident, the victim's distraught 88-year-old sister tried to get to the hospital to see her dying sister and couldn't get a taxi, and flagged down a patrol police car for help. They told her they aren't a taxi service and drove off. She says she doesn't blame them because she was not coherent, which is generous of her. When incoherent 88-year-old women flag down the police, I think some kind of assistance should be provided FFS.

[Ladybug]

Sophie is the first UK royal to visit Ukraine.

On Monday she went on a one-day visit, on behalf of the Foreign Office, to "demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war".

There was also a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During her trip Sophie talked to survivors of sexual violence and torture, and at an evening reception at the residence of the UK ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, spoke about her experience meeting survivors in other countries marred by conflict.

"Women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs," she said, adding: "Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy."

In her meeting with President Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, the duchess gave them a private message from King Charles and discussed support for survivors of sexual violence in conflicts.

Bravo, Sophie!

[hellsbells]

A trip to Ukraine is no joke. Good for her.

[Ladybug]

Sophie is the first UK royal to make an official visit to the nation of Chad.

During her trip, the duchess went to Adre, where more than 220,000 refugees, mostly women and children, are living in a camp after fleeing the conflict between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sophie, who was accompanied by representatives from the UNICEF charity, visited the border crossing with Chad, where between 400 and 1,000 people cross daily.

The duchess, who arrived in Chad on Saturday and left on Monday, is a champion of the UN's Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) and a supporter of the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI).

She met with several women who were the victims of sexual violence. Some of the stories were truly terrible. I have much respect for her dedication to this issue and her ongoing efforts to highlight these tragedies.

[tiggertoo]

She’s working very hard. She just got back from Malta, which seemed to be a very busy trip.