The Wessexes Foreign Offiical Visits and Tours

[TLLK]

The Countess of Wessex attended the ICAN Forum in Oslo, Norway, today, November 5:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EInclPyWkAML-LY.jpg
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CC Tuesday:
The Countess of Wessex attended the International Civil Society Action Network Forum at Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel, Kongeveien 26.

Her Royal Highness later attended a Reception at the Residence.

Mr Alexander Stonor is in attendance.
2/2

[Blue Clover]

Is Sophie the new Princess Anne? She is working hard and quietly on behalf of the Crown.

[TLLK]

Twitter
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CC Wednesday:
The Countess of Wessex this morning planted a commemorative tree at the Residence of Her Majesty?s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway in Oslo to mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Queen Maud.
4:15 PM - 6 Nov 2019

[Princess Cassandra]

She is quite the ambassador! She has made some extraordinary trips this year on behalf of HM, who we know holds Sophie in high esteem.

[TLLK]

Twitter

The Countess of Wessex will visit Sierra Leone, Africa at the request of the Foreign & CW Office on January 22nd-23rd. Sophie's visit will focus on addressing sexual & gender-based violence, supporting survivors & championing women?s role in peacebuilding.

[Princess Cassandra]

Twitter

This will be a good one to watch for photo's. Love those foreign trips.
Although I do realize this one has a serious mission.

[TLLK]

I really enjoy them as well @Princess Cassandra. Unfortunately too often they're derided and labeled as "holidays" even though they frequently highlight issues that have a serious mission.

[Princess Cassandra]

And a happy birthday to HRH. Safe travels!
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I really enjoy them as well @Princess Cassandra. Unfortunately too often they're derided and labeled as "holidays" even though they frequently highlight issues that have a serious mission.

Yes, too true. When people they are visiting want to share wonderful sights and accomplishments it does look like they are tourists, but it is not hard to see it is not a vacation. 

[TLLK]

The Countess of Wessex in Sierra Leone today.

Twitter

This week, The Countess of Wessex is visiting Sierra Leone to learn more about the important work being done to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict.

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Sophie Wessex joins roundtable discussion with members of armed forces during visit to Sierra Leone | Daily Mail Online
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As she arrived at the Sierra Leone Peace Museum in Freetown, she was warmly greeted by Binta Mansaray, Registrar of the Residual Special Court.

The Countess appeared visibly moved as she studied archive material in the museum, including clothing worn by the CDF, a civil militia, during the civil war.

Almost 20 years after the end of the 1991-2002 civil war, the royal heard how Sierra Leone has successfully transitioned to a sustained peace following the conflict.

As part of the visit, she learned  about the role of the Special Court and Truth and Reconciliation Commission in bringing justice to survivors of the conflict, including survivors of sexual violence. 

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Sophie's second day in Sierra Leone.

Visiting at technical school.

https://www.paimages.co.uk/headline/1424054

[wannable]

Today is the last day of visit at Sierra Leone

Twitter

[TLLK]

Twitter

CC Monday:
The Countess of Wessex this evening departed from Heathrow Airport, London, for South Sudan.

Mr Alexander Stonor is in attendance.

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Twitter
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The Countess met with Church leaders to discuss the churches? work engaging women in local peacebuilding efforts, promoting peace, and tackling violence against women and girls. Religious leaders must continue to play an important role in promoting a peaceful future for
🇸🇸

[FanDianaFancy]

Dangerous.
:blink:

Non glamourous, but very, extremely important. :hug?:

As usual, Sophie works like Anne, PR and that is to be commended.

[Princess Cassandra]

Dangerous.
:blink:

Non glamourous, but very, extremely important. :hug?:

As usual, Sophie works like Anne, PR and that is to be commended.

I agree. She is impressive in many ways.

[wannable]

Sophie conceded an interview to the Sunday Times, she spoke mostly of the dangerous trip to Sudan.

The DM purchased the @copyrights in reference to what she said about her family.

Sophie Wessex reveals her and Prince Edward's two children will not take on official royal roles and are being raised with 'the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living'
Countess says unlikely Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn will use HRH
Sophie says she hopes her daughter will go to university - she is 'quite clever'
Reveals Prince Edward is 'very engaged' as a father and good at barbecues
Sophie Wessex's children will not take on official royal roles and are likely to 'work for a living' | Daily Mail Online

She said Lady Louise wants to go to University, but is not sure about James.
She also said that it took her 10 years to land her footing in the firm, as she was used to do whatever she wanted with her company as a PR person.

[Curryong]

What I found interesting about Sophie speaking about her children is that her statement about her children's HRHs directly contradicts what a longterm poster on TRF was told when she wrote to BP on the question years ago. She has repeated it, complete with the wording, on several threads since on that Forum.

That was in essence that the parents (Sophie and Edward) had specifically requested that no HRHs be given to their children and that therefore none had been given. Now Sophie has inferred that Louise and James DO have HRHs and could possibly use them after they are 18 and decide for themselves. If the particular BP office (which the TRF directly wrote to) was correct then that will mean the monarch will have to issue an LP regarding it when Louise reaches 18.

I don't believe that Louise would want an HRH, actually, or James for that matter. Both Eugenie and Harry have made statements over the years that such things are not helpful when with friends etc.

When Louise is 18 we will see I suppose, but an added complication may be that the Queen could still be alive and therefore the Dukedom of Edinburgh won't yet be Edward's. A bit ridiculous giving HRHs to grandchildren when they will still be Earl's children, IMO.

[QueenAlex]

Its possible that the queen wasn't happy iwht their not having HRH and hoped that in due course she would be able to give it to them.  Or possibly Sophie would really prefer them to have HRH.  I agree that it sounds contradictory and peculiar  - because the original announcement seemed to indicate that although they would normally be HRH prince James etc in this instance they were going to be titled as the children of an earl.  however I have always felt that that was not something that the queen was happy with or possibly that Edward was really happy with.. but at the time of the wedding they decided it was for the best.

[wannable]

Titles and styles

She is styled as "Lady Louise Windsor", although letters patent issued in 1917, and still in force, assign a princely status and the style of Royal Highness to all children of a monarch's sons. Consequently Lady Louise is entitled to the style and title of "Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wessex". However, when her parents married, the Queen, via a Buckingham Palace press release, announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess. Thus, court communications refer to her as Lady Louise Windsor.

[QueenAlex]

Yes, that's well known that she's referred to as Lady Louise and James is Viscount Severn.....but Sophie seems to indicate taht she is really "HRH PRincess Louise" and that she can use this style when she turns 18.  but that wasn't the general impression that was given by the royal announcement...

[wannable]

I can't find her birth certificate, it was on Pinterest with many other BRF BC's, including the empty fill in the blanks for Master Archie.

And I can't recall if in the said BC was HRH Princess Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary or not. Nor I can't find the BP press release, was this added in their Privy Council, signed sealed and delivered to supersede the 1917 letters patent? I've seen Anne's children, plus the privy council points of discussion, and all the wedding announcements.

[QueenAlex]

I can't find her birth certificate, it was on Pinterest with many other BRF BC's, including the empty fill in the blanks for Master Archie.

And I can't recall if in the said BC was HRH Princess Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary or not. Nor I can't find the BP press release, was this added in their Privy Council, signed sealed and delivered to supersede the 1917 letters patent? I've seen Anne's children, plus the privy council points of discussion, and all the wedding announcements.

She has always been titled as Lady Louise Mountbatten Windsor.. never Princess.  It was announced at the time of the wedding that tehir children would be titled as the children of an earl.. not a Prince. But Sophie is now sayng that she "is" a Princess and can use the HRH when she's 18

[wannable]

The mother would know best?!

[QueenAlex]

Why would she know better than the announcement of the queen's wish?  and there is the fact that a member of another royal forum wrote to BP asking about this some time ago and was told that the chidlren did not have HRH....
Unless the initial annoucmetn was badly phrased or the letter from BP was wrong.. ?

[wannable]

I can't find the royal charter of this specific or the supersede in the Privy Council website using any key words.

[Curryong]

Don't know whether it is OK to post here, if not delete, but this is the relevant page of TRF in which a particular poster states that she communicated with BP and in her letter specifically asked the question as to whether the Wessex children were ever considered HRHs and Prince and Princess. She was told by the official at the Palace to whom she addressed the question that no they were not at that time (2017) nor had they ever been HRHs or Prince and Princess. She was told in the reply that the Queen's Will was paramount and over-rode any LPs.



There has been a long discussion on the subject at this Forum, with many knowledgeable posters putting in their two penneth over the years, and several  put forward the various arguments for and against regarding LPs and the Queen's Will. So this poster decided to go to the source and that was the reply.

I am sure that the Queen has discussed the situation with Edward and Sophie many times since the original decision was taken on their wedding day about the  styling of their future children. Perhaps when Louise reaches 18 she will go to her grandmother or uncle and ask that the LP be reinstated, but Sophie doesn't seem to think so in this latest interview. Louise is likely to go to university and then into a professional career of some sort in a world in which she may regard such a styling as a handicap rather than a blessing. Who knows. We've only got a few years to find out!

[TLLK]

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised to read  Sophie's statement that the Wessex children had the option of using their HRH Prince/Princess styles and titles when they turn 18. I also agree that it is unlikely that they'll choose to use them in the future.