Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has an important task this week, as she undertakes an official solo visit to Zambia on behalf of the UK. While there, the Duchess has engaged with a wide range of organisations, but there was one visit in particular that held an emotional pull and connection to her daughter, Lady Louise.
On Monday (14 September), Sophie arrived in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, for an official visit to 'celebrate the relationship between Zambia and the UK', according to the Palace, with her itinerary designed to 'shared interests, including gender equality, climate and nature, and education and research partnerships.' One of these interests led her to a reception for a range of eye health charities.
Eye health is an issue close to Sophie's heart as her daughter, Lady Louise, was born with an eye condition, which required surgery when she was just 18 months old. The condition is called esotropia, which causes a turn in the eye. The event the Duchess attended in Zambia was co-hosted by International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), of which she is Global Ambassador. The other co-hosting organisation was the charity Orbis, and the Duchess has witnessed some of the work it does in locations including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and India over multiple years. The event took place ahead of the first-ever Global Summit for Eye Health this November, which will be in Antigua.
Earlier the same day, the Duchess met the President of the Republic of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema and First Lady Mutinta Hichilema, before travelling to the Lower Zambezi National Park on Wednesday (16 September) to learn more about conservation work being done there. Her visit included a boat trip down the Zambezi river past wildlife including magnificent elephants.
The Duchess' visit to Zambia continues this week, concluding on Friday 19 September.
