The Duchess of Edinburgh has undertaken a secret four-day trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. New photos released by the royal family show Duchess Sophie over the course of her secret high-security trip, which aimed to "shine a light" on the "weaponisation of rape" and recognise the work being done to support those who survive horrific war-related sexual violence. Visiting the war-torn nation from Monday, 29 September to Thursday, 2 October at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the royal met women peacebuilders working at the grassroots level.
Sophie, 60, flew into Beni on a flight from Entebbe in Uganda on Monday morning, accompanied by a security team throughout the trip. She said it was an "honour" to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, having previously visited in 2022, adding: "I wish it was in happier times." Her aim was to highlight work supporting local peace initiatives and to uncover the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict, particularly on women and girls.
Duchess Sophie's itinerary
On Monday, upon arriving in Beni in the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Sophie participated in an intensive training session with a Brazilian jungle warfare team, which is part of the UN peacekeeping force Monusco. She practiced jungle survival techniques, helped weave baskets, and departed with a cuddly gorilla toy. Later in her visit, she was visibly moved as a 16-year-old girl described being assaulted by a police officer, before another woman detailed being sexually violated while fleeing areas controlled by rebels. Sophie sat barefoot in a tent near a hospital with the survivors, listening to the women weep as they told their stories.
© PAHer trip also included a stop at the Panzi Clinic in Kinshasa, a facility providing care for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. There, she observed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege perform surgery on a five-year-old girl. The Duchess also met with women who survived sexual violence during a mass jailbreak at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa last year. She listened as the women recounted experiences of forced abortions, being shunned by their own families, and the ongoing dangers they face daily.
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© PAA lighter moment saw the royal take on the role of a seamstress at a safe space run by the Danish Refugee Council, situated above Beni. The program, which receives partial funding from the UK, helps women displaced by the conflict earn an income through crafting and hairdressing. Another highlight of the four-day engagement was a visit to a local café to learn about initiatives aimed at fostering peace in Virunga National Park, much of which is under rebel control. She was briefed on efforts to promote local employment through eco-tourism, supply renewable energy, and support sustainable farming to safeguard Africa's oldest national park and its resident mountain gorillas.
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© PAShining a light
Speaking at a reception at the British embassy in the capital Kinshasa on Wednesday, the Duchess of Edinburgh delivered an impassioned speech, reflecting on everything she had learnt during her stay. She said: "The situation is so bad and the scale is so enormous, I was saying to someone earlier on that we could all walk away because it’s just too hard. So we have to think of each person, each woman, each child, each boy and each man and we have to bring it back to the individuals every single time because even if we change one life we make a difference."
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© PAShe added: "When a woman’s life has been devastated by rape, she has been rejected by her family and her community, she has lost everything, all she wants is opportunity. Opportunity to rebuild, to earn some money, to put food on the table and to get her children into school. This is not complicated stuff, it just requires will and dedication and, yes of course, finance."
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