Prince William and Duchess Of Edinburgh attended a Rhino Man screening on Tuesday night. It was a surprise to see the pair together. Sophie and Edward often attend events with William and Kate but this was the first time William and Sophie had done an event without their spouses. Both of them seemed so relaxed. Sophie looked like she was glowing and William's little fists were not clenched. He appeared to enjoy spending time with Sophie. In my reporting, I said, "I can't WAIT for dozens of articles about how William and Sophie were the new 'power couple' of the royal family and how they should always be paired together for glitzy occasions." I was only half right. In the latest Daily Mail article, "The Royal Family’s New Star", the narrative is not "Wow, Peg is great with Sophie." It is "Sophie, who is amazing, is carrying the monarchy by herself." The Duchess is "indispensable" to Kate and William because of her "natural warmth and low key approach", according to royal experts. Her outing with Prince William proved her new status.

Royal experts say that the Duchess enjoyed a rare engagement with Prince of Wales. It's a sign of how important Sophie is to The Royal Family. Royal experts say it's rare to see Prince Edward’s wife out with just the heir to Britain's throne, but that this is a sign of her improved position within The Firm.

Richard Fitzwilliams, royal commentator, told FEMAIL that the engagement between the two was 'unusual', but highlighted Sophie as one of The Royal Family's hardest workers. William and Catherine are the most glamorous royal couple in the world, with a huge soft power influence. Sophie has established herself as an indispensable support for them.

The royal expert added: "There is periodic media interest in what Sophie dresses, but she and Edward are not at the center of the storm. They prefer that. They are also crucial to the charitable work of the monarchy, which is its primary function. The event yesterday brought this to the forefront. She is similar to the Princess Anne in that she takes a low-key, discreet approach to her work. These trips have taken her to conflict zones such as South Sudan, Sierra Leone and other countries.

Royal author Phil Dampier explained that Sophie is becoming a star in The Royal Family, and they really need her. Harry, Meghan, and Prince Andrew are no longer in the picture. The monarchy has been trimmed down to a point where it may be too slim. The King, the Queen and Princess Anne all have reached their 70s. Others like the Duke Kent are on the verge of retirement. Sophie is much more famous than Edward. She is warm and loves to go on walks. She is a quiet worker, like Anne. She has made several trips abroad. The author concluded that she has grown up a lot and being by William's sides is a sign of her new status.

The Daily Mail

It would have been great if the Windsors had not mistreated or abused a glamorous actress who was married into their family. Meghan could have spread her glamour throughout the family, modernizing this boring, staid and racist institution. You're spending all this time and effort trying to make fetch work. Since decades, no one is buying what the "new star", (lol), Sophie is selling. Even with all of that, I find the optics fascinating, especially since Kate and Edward were not present. Hm.

Backgrid and Cover Images provided the photos.