Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Joins Peacebuilders at The Hague Forum
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh spent two days in The Hague meeting women who work for peace in war zones.
The duchess, who is married to Prince Edward, the younger brother of King Charles III, attended the annual Women, Peace and Security Forum on Sept. 29 and 30 at the Peace Palace. The Peace Palace is the Dutch home of international law in The Hague. Town & Country reported the details of the visit on Oct. 2.
The forum is organized by the International Civil Society Action Network, a nonprofit group that backs women peacebuilders. This year's theme was "Security Reimagined." It was the 11th time the group has held the forum. Organizers say the idea is to offer an alternative to the dominant global security debate, according to ICAN.
More than 65 women from over 40 countries affected by conflict attended. They were joined by policymakers and philanthropists. She came to listen.
During the visit, the duchess sat down with women peacebuilders and civil society representatives from around the world. The conversations focused on their work in their own communities. Those local efforts are the core of the forum.
The schedule was not all formal meetings. Participants took a wellness walk around The Hague. The walk was followed by a reception at the residence of the British ambassador to the Netherlands.
The duchess has a formal role in this area. She serves as the British royal family's representative for the United Nations' Women, Peace and Security agenda, the global push to include women in preventing conflict and rebuilding after it. She is listed as Champion for Women, Peace and Security. Her attendance in The Hague was recorded in the Court Circular, the palace's daily record of official engagements, according to the Royal Household.
ICAN had announced ahead of time that the duchess would join the 11th forum. That notice framed her participation as part of the wider guest list of leaders and advocates.
What makes this stand out is the tone. No ceremony. No crowds. Just direct talks and a shared walk with women doing hard and often risky work. It put a working royal in a room built for listening, not for ceremony.
