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<\/p>\nOver the years, the likes of the Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh have all be dubbed the royals’ ‘secret weapon’ – but one expert believes the King has a brand new one<\/p>\n
15:32, 28 Feb 2026Updated 15:32, 28 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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The Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
The Royal Family<\/a> has seen several of its members being dubbed ‘secret weapons’ due to their quiet dedication to duty, and there may be a new one joining the ranks.<\/p>\n Both the King’s sister Princess Anne <\/a>and sister-in-law Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh<\/a>, have both being given the complimentary label in recent times. However, according to one royal expert, the King has a new ‘secret weapon’ within the family thanks to their steady approach to royal duty – and that’s his younger brother Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh<\/a>.<\/p>\n In recent weeks while the Royal Family<\/a> has faced turmoil in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, Edward has quietly been getting on with royal duties.<\/p>\n Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate<\/a> or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.<\/p>\n Prince Edward was praised by an expert(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n READ MORE: Prince Edward\u2019s ex-girlfriend to release bombshell memoir about their romance<\/a>READ MORE: Shamed Andrew ‘hit with new strict rules at Sandringham cottage’ in latest blow<\/a><\/p>\n In recent weeks, he’s travelled to Italy to attend the 2026 Winter Olympics and supported the National Youth Theatre at a special engagement. And royal biographer Robert Jobson told The Express<\/a>: “In Edward, the King has found a trusted, steady hand-dependable and discreet-supported by his equally grounded wife, Sophie. Together, they present a wholesome, scandal-free image that has quietly bolstered the monarchy’s relatability in modern times.”<\/p>\n Edward’s wife Sophie has also won plaudits for carving out an at times gritty role travelling to the likes of Iraq<\/a>, Chad and even Ukraine<\/a> – mainly to champion women and the role she believes they can play in delivering peace across the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n Edward with wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n In recent years, courtiers and charity bosses have hailed Sophie as a dependable figure in the slimmed-down working monarchy –earning her the often-used description of<\/a> ‘secret weapon’.<\/p>\n And in a previous rare interview with the Mirror<\/a>, Sophie finally opened up about how she feels about the nickname – and gave an unexpected answer. Revealing her thoughts about the label, she explained: “I like to fly under the radar. It\u2019s all very well being a secret weapon, but if no one knows, maybe it’s too secret.”<\/p>\n However, after a pause, she added: “I suppose I should take it as a backhanded compliment. I don\u2019t see myself in a frontline position per se, that said admittedly, there are fewer working members of the family these days so I suppose more and more I’m becoming less secretive. I just wonder what they are going to describe me as next!”<\/p>\n But when asked what she would like her own description to be, she quickly replied: “I don’t know, I am going to leave that for others, it would be very presumptuous for me to suggest something that could go badly wrong.”<\/p>\n With her role travelling the world and facing hard-hitting subjects head-on, such as conflict-related sexual violence, Sophie admitted sometimes it can “take its toll on emotions, that’s for sure”.<\/p>\n But even though the subject matters, such as rape, may not be easy to hear about and the scale of the problems may be too much for just one person, such as her, to solve alone, the Duchess say it just strengthens her resolve to do as much as she can, especially when it comes to issues facing women.<\/p>\n Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! <\/p>\n As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you’ll get all the latest news on the UK’s most famous family.<\/p>\n We’ll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in.<\/p>\n All you have to do to join is click on this link<\/a>, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group.<\/p>\n We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Swimming](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_Swimming-Commonwealth-Games-Day-4.jpg\")
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