Sophie Wessex SECRET ROYAL STAR

THE COUNTESS IS WOWING THE BIG APPLE WITH HER WORK ETHIC AND STYLE

- Kylie Walters

When you ask the Queen to pick her favourite child, sources say that every time, without fail, she’ll choose her daughter-in-law, Sophie. So when it came time to send a family member to represent Her Majesty on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s turf, it’s no wonder she decided to turn to the person she trusts most.

The Countess of Wessex, 57, jetted off to the US on March 14 for a whirlwind four-day solo tour of New York City. Upon landing, she promptly headed straight to the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Lower Manhattan to plant a rosemary bush in the Queen’s honor to mark Commonwealth Day, before attending a series of events to thank organisations on the monarch’s behalf.

But it was while delivering the keynote speech at a United Nations event the next day that she really showed what she’s made of. Sophie, who has long been a tireless worker when it comes to supporting women’s issues, urged the international community not to forget about our Afghani sisters after Kabul fell to the Taliban last August.

“The crisis in Afghanistan hasn’t gone away and the effects are worsening daily,” the countess told the UN General Assembly. “What we know is the rights of women and girls have worsened.”