Duchess Sophie is one of the hardest-working members of the Royal Family, and on Monday, August 10 it was announced that she’s been named the new patron of a charity that ties heavily into one of Prince Harry’s greatest passions.
Sophie will now be working with the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), and she hit the indoor slopes at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, England to celebrate the news. The organization uses snow sports to accelerate the physical and emotional recovery of wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
Through adaptive sports like snowboarding, alpine and nordic skiing, the AFPST helps gives participants “a renewed sense of purpose and independence as they work towards individual and shared goals”—a very similar mission as Prince Harry’s Invictus Games.
The Duchess of Edinburgh looked in her element as she skied alongside AFPST participants and learned more about how the organization has given military personnel and veterans an increased sense of community and purpose.
Prince Harry has been carrying out the same work through the Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham, England in July 2027. Although the U.K. will host a summer games, the organization held its first Invictus Winter Games in 2025, and with Sophie’s new role, it opens the opportunity for her to attend a future winter event.
The duchess's husband, Prince Edward, also has a strong interest in para sports as the patron of the British Paralympic Association, a role he's held for more than 20 years. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have taken part in many of the Paralympic Games and traveled to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, giving Sophie the opportunity to meet ParalympicsGB athletes ahead of her new role.
As for whether any members of the Royal Family attend Invictus 2027, watch this space.
