Duchess Sophie issues major announcement hours after Prince Edward’s health update

The Duchess of Edinburgh has been having a very busy week.

Duchess Sophie has made a major announcement about her plans, just hours after her husband’s latest health update. Buckingham Palace announced that the Duchess of Edinburgh has completed a two-day tour in Somalia and has now travelled to Kenya for another trip.

It came hours after Prince Edward pulled out of an engagement with King Charles and other royals due to a cold. On Tuesday, the King presented the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education to 19 universities and colleges in recognition of their outstanding work.

He was joined by Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

But Edward, who was originally expected to attend the ceremony, was nowhere to be seen.

It is understood that the Duke has been pacing himself after coming down with a cold and opted to skip the event.

Meanwhile, Sophie visited Somalia at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to draw attention to the ongoing issue of conflict-related sexual violence in the region and highlight the voices of survivors.

During a series of engagements on Monday and Tuesday, the Duchess greeted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his first daughter, Jihan Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, before meeting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

She also visited a Somali village to meet the wives of Somali forces who explained the dangers posed by al-Shabaab and the challenges they face while their husbands fight for a more secure and stable Somalia.

Her engagements also included a visit to a hospital in the centre of Mogadishu, where the Duchess met survivors who spoke about the impact of female genital mutilation, rape and sexual assault on Somali women, and the importance of being able to access vital services.

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Prince Edward was off sick on Tuesday (Image: Getty)

Sophie heard about the impact of a UK-supported sexual and reproductive health service programme operating across 39 health facilities in the country.

The duchess, a champion of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda, has focused her charity work on raising awareness of the devastation of conflict-related sexual violence.

Her trip focused on the “crucial role women play in peacebuilding, strengthening community resilience and supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence”.

Somalia has faced more than 30 years of conflicts, including an Islamist insurgency and a civil war.

The duchess went on to travel to Kenya on Tuesday for a two-day visit to celebrate Kenyan women leaders and recognise the role women play in preventing and resolving conflicts.