Kate Middleton stands with 'royal sister' Duchess Sophie at emotional Remembrance Sunday service
The Princess of Wales made two consecutive appearances this weekend to pay tribute to the war dead - the first on Saturday evening at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and the second at the emotional Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph on Sunday morning.
As the Princess watched the King and other senior members of the Royal Family lay wreaths from the centre balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, she was joined by the Duchess of Edinburgh. With the Queen unable to attend owing to a chest infection, it was heart-warming to see the two royal women stood together as they are incredibly close, with a leading royal expert previously describing the pair as "sisters".
Speaking to OK! before, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond explained: “I think William and Kate feel they can confide in Sophie… a rarity when there are so few people a royal can trust with their thoughts and feelings.
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"She is so easy to be with - which is clearly something William appreciates. It’s the same for Kate, as even though they are of two different generations, they seem more like sisters. I am certain Sophie has been an enormous support and guide for her in what is a complex and unique world."
And, after the Princess of Wales' difficult year, there is little doubt that the Duchess hasn't been on hand to offer support and comfort to her family. “She is a wonderfully compassionate woman," Jennie adds. "The late Queen regarded her as a second daughter, and - apart from one unfortunate scam when she was tricked by a News of the World reporter - Sophie has never put a foot wrong.”
This obvious warmth is also shared by the King as they have been pictured many times over the years in fits of laughter. “She is seen as a safe pair of hands when carrying out her royal engagements either with the rest of the family or by herself.
"She doesn’t complain, she doesn’t demand, she just gets on with supporting the King when asked, and with pursuing her interests and causes the rest of the time. She often does this under the radar, expecting no special treatment and is now absolutely part of the core working royals.”
In previous years, the Princess of Wales would have stood with Queen Camilla on the centre balcony - but the Queen was forced to cancel her appearance as she continues to recover from a chest infection.
After the news that the Queen would not be able to join the Remembrance events, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK! : "This is such a shame, as to see all the senior royals back on parade together would have been heartening.
"Chest infections can be quite nasty as you grow older and it’s important that the queen follows her doctor’s advice and rests. But there are other factors at play here as well: she wouldn’t want to risk passing the infection onto Catherine or anybody else."
On the Queen's recuperation, Jennie added: "The Palace haven’t said where Camilla is recovering but it could well be at her home in Ray Mill which would mean she was also keeping a precautionary distance from the King as he resumes his cancer treatment.
"It will, though, be upsetting for her to miss such an important weekend. As the daughter of a military man, the Remembrance Day commemorations are dear to her heart."
Queen Camilla's father, Major Bruce Shand, had an interesting time during his wartime service. He served with the 12th Lancers during the Second World War, earning the Military Cross twice once in 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk, and again in 1942 for his North Africa campaign. Despite being wounded and captured in the same region, he survived the ordeal, passing away at the age of 89 in June 2006.
