Duchess Sophie heads overseas ahead of family celebration

The Duchess of Edinburgh is set to begin her five-day visit to Canada on Friday, and the trip will end on a very special day for Sophie.

During her travels the Duchess will carry out engagements in relation to her role as Colonel-in-Chief of Niagara's Lincoln and Welland Regiment, and Patron of Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, University Health Network (UHN). 

Saturday will see Sophie attend The Duchess of Edinburgh competition, hosted by the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. The annual competition sees Sophie's military affiliations come together to compete in a series of challenges.

At the end of the tournament, Sophie will present a trophy – known as The Countess of Wessex Cup – to the winning team.

On Sunday, the Duchess will attend a Service of Remembrance at St Catherine's Cenotaph, accompanied by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, before attending a reception to meet soldiers of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and their families. 

From Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 November, Sophie will spend three days visiting three sites at UHN: Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehab.

The Duchess, who has been patron of the Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals since 2005, will meet frontline healthcare workers, researchers, staff and patients during her engagements.

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The last day of her trip to Canada coincides with Sophie's daughter Lady Louise Windsor's 20^th birthday.

Lady Louise is currently in the second year of her English degree course at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

She is the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and is 15^th in line to the throne. 

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Lady Louise was born prematurely on 8 November 2003 by an emergency C-section at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

She has a close connection to Canada of her own. In June 2008, to recognise a visit by Louise's father Prince Edward to the Canadian province of Manitoba, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba renamed a lake in the north of the province after her.

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Lady Louise is expected to celebrate her birthday privately, although Sophie did take her daughter to see a Strictly Come Dancing live show in 2018 when Louise turned 15.

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