The Duchess of Edinburgh is set to assume a more prominent public role within the Royal Family, signalling a potential expansion of her and Prince Edward's relatively small household.
Sophie, 60, is thought to be "keen" to help fill gaps left by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure in January 2020 and Prince Andrew's resignation from public duties.
Despite her expanding responsibilities, Sophie currently operates with remarkably minimal support.
"At the moment, the duke and duchess only have one live-in member of staff at their home in Bagshot (Surrey), who doubles up as a personal secretary," a source close to the couple revealed.
The Duchess of Edinburgh could be set to see her small royal household expand as she takes on more duties.
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The source noted that her increased responsibilities will necessitate additional support.
"I suspect that as she takes on more work for the family, Sophie will have to have more staff," the insider, familiar with the Duchess's work, explained.
Even still, the Duchess has expressed enthusiasm about increasing her workload to support King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"Sophie is very keen to take on more work for the Royal Family," the insider told The Sun.
Sophie is said to be 'keen' to step further into the spotlight.
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To the end, Sophie was described by the source as being "a bit like Princess Anne".
They suggested she was someone who "has done a hell of a lot of travelling to engagements all over the world without any real fanfare".
Regarding Sophie's various visits, the insider said: "The places she has gone to are often not very fashionable, to say the least, but she happily goes and gives each engagement her all because she knows she is representing the King.
"The duchess is very good at doing her own research for those engagements and writing her own speeches, as does the duke," they added.
Sophie has been stepping up her appearances with fellow royals recently.
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Sophie's humanitarian efforts span the globe, with particular focus on combating sexual violence in conflict zones.
Since pledging support for the Government's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative on International Women's Day 2019, she has visited victims in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Iraq, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Last October, the duchess made a historic visit to the Adre refugee camp on Chad's border with Sudan, supporting children's charity Plan International UK.
Her work has included championing solidarity with Ukrainians affected by Russian attacks and supporting programmes to eliminate trachoma, an infectious eye disease, across the Commonwealth.
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Sophie's husband, Prince Edward, has also been taking on royal duties.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales have demonstrated strong support for Sophie's enhanced position. "William feels Edward and Sophie are needed. The important work that they do is seen," a royal source stated.
Recent public appearances have showcased their warm relationship, with Sophie and William sharing gin and cider at the Royal Cornwall Show this month, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds.
The duchess has also impressed with her public approval ratings, achieving 51 per cent positive support in a recent YouGov poll, surpassing Queen Camilla.
Her joint appearance with Kate at the Garter Day procession in Windsor last week further highlighted the close bonds within the working royal circle.
Elsewhere, Sophie's husband Prince Edward has been taking on more royal duties. King Charles's younger brother is currently engaged in a week-long trip to Canada.
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