The Queen's daughter-in-law the Countess of Wessex has been quietly supporting Her Majesty for decades.
As a full-time working royal, Sophie is patron of over 70 charities and organisations and splits her time between helping the Queen and following her own personal passions.
Most recently, Sophie proudly backed the Menopause Workplace Pledge by health charity Wellbeing of Women, which, alongside companies like HELLO!, is calling on all employers to sign up and support women going through the menopause. An estimated 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs due to the menopause, with research showing many struggle to manage their symptoms at work.
Sophie's other charitable causes are focused on supporting people with disabilities, the prevention of blindness in developing countries, agriculture and fashion. Each year, she undertakes hundreds of visits to schools, universities, military bases and charity headquarters in order to learn more about their work, and to highlight it to the wider world.
Shortly before her marriage to Prince Edward in 1999, Sophie and Edward founded The Wessex Youth Trust Shortly which offered grants and support to charities helping young people. Over £2.5 million was distributed to over 180 causes during its two successful decades.
In 2019, the Wessex Youth Trust was renamed The Earl and Countess of Wessex Trust. Having met the charity's original objective of supporting children and young people, the Trust broadened its charitable endeavours to focus on developing strong relationships with a selected group of charities.
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