Why Sophie is carrying out a ‘crucial’ role in a difficult royal year [Video]

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One week, she was in Tanzania, recognizing progress in that African country in the fight against a preventable and blinding eye disease. 

The next week, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was out and about much closer to home, recognizing efforts to support people with multiple disabilities in Surrey, west of London. 

She also stopped by a community centre, where she met with parents and played with children during a “stay and play” session, and visited an animal sanctuary, where she had a chance to cuddle a rescue chicken named Stumpy. 

It was, in many ways, a regular royal routine. But Sophie’s roster of duties has ramped up considerably in recent weeks. News reports say she is stepping up to fill a royal gapin a year that has seen both her brother-in-law, King Charles, and his daughter-in-law, Catherine, …