Sophie marks 60th birthday with new portrait

To celebrate the 60th birthday of the Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, official new portrait photos of her have been released. The photos, taken by London fashion photographer Christina Ebenezer earlier this month, show Sophie sitting by a window in her Surrey home, appearing relaxed and cheerful.

Buckingham Palace stated that Sophie was very interested in Ebenezer's photographic style and wanted to support a rising female photographer. She will celebrate her birthday quietly at home with the Duke of Edinburgh on Monday. The photos were taken at Bagshot Park, with the Duchess wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a beige pleated skirt.

In recent years, Sophie's public profile has been increasingly elevated. Following the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Prince Andrew, and the health issues of the King and the Princess of Wales, she has been hailed as a reliable member of the streamlined Royal Family. She was also the first member of the Royal Family to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion, traveling to Kyiv last April to meet with President Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska to discuss how to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Buckingham Palace said that on the occasion of the Duchess's 60th birthday, she has renewed her commitment to her work on gender equality and looks forward to further advocating for this issue in the future. Ebenezer, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to London at the age of four, has previously been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 art and culture leader and a British Fashion Council New Wave creative.

Two of her portrait works—portraits of British actresses Michaela Coel and Letitia Wright—were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery last year.