Duchess Sophie's new role with strong links to Prince Harry

The Duchess of Edinburgh has a new role that has strong links to the work of her nephew, Prince Harry. On Monday, the Duchess was confirmed as the patron of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST) charity.

This charity uses snow sports to help wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans with their recovery. The charity believes that through adaptive sports, it can give people a new sense of purpose. As patron, Sophie hit the indoor slopes at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead herself on Monday, showing her already hands-on approach with the charity.

The Duchess of Edinburgh was all smiles yesterday as she skied alongside AFPST participants and learned more about how the charity helps people.

The news of her patronage is likely to delight royal fans, as well as her nephew, Prince Harry.

This is because the charity seems to have a similar purpose to Harry’s own foundation, The Invictus Games, which he set up in 2014 to help injured ex-servicemen and women through sport.

The Invictus Games aims to help provide opportunities for people through sports, with the competition designed to help ex-servicemen and women overcome the impact of trauma.

This is something Harry, as an ex-veteran, has always said he feels passionate about. In 2018, Harry gave a powerful speech celebrating Invictus Games competitors, in which he spoke about how important the competition has become not only for ex-servicemen and women’s physical recovery but also for their mental recovery.

He said: "I hope the ethos of these Games has also shown you that we all have mental health, just as much as we all have physical health. I hope you have seen that our mental fitness is even more important than our physical fitness, because without it, we cannot survive, let alone thrive.

"So for all the civvies, or civilians out there, look at what these men and women have achieved and know that one day, though you may not be injured in combat, physical or emotional injuries can happen to any one of us, on any given day.

"The secret of these Invictus Games is not really about the amazing medical science that has saved the lives of our competitors and helped many of them to walk, swim, or move again.

“The secret to the success of these Games has been accepting that mental health is the real key to recovery. Our competitors have helped turn the issue of mental health from a sad story to an inspiring one. They want to live, rather than just be alive. When you accept a challenge that is real, you can have hope. When you understand your vulnerability, you can become strong. When you are brave enough to ask for help, you can be lifted up. You can start living, doing, feeling - not simply surviving. And when you share your story, you can change the world. And I can't think of a better way to continue serving your country.”