Buckingham Palace Posts Stunning Photo of Duchess Sophie Standing Alone in Front of a Tomb

It’s been a busy week for the Duchess of Edinburgh. Joining her husband, Prince Edward, for a whirlwind three days in Portugal, Duchess Sophie has traveled from Porto to Lisbon, carrying out numerous royal engagements along the way.

A post about the trip, shared to the Royal Family’s official Instagram account, highlighted the scope of the tour. “Highlights included visits to Batalha Monastery, Porto Cathedral and Casa da Música; speaking at Model NATO about Women, Peace and Security; receiving the keys to the city at Porto Town Hall; and jumping on a famous Lisbon tram,” the caption explained.

But it was a striking photo of Sophie standing all by herself in the Founder’s Chapel at Batalha Monastery that most caught our eye. The royal, dressed in a floral MaxMara shirtdress, stands in front of the joint tomb for King John I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, looking solemn, but also rather moved.

The architecture that surrounds her is also quite a sight. The light streams in through the windows, too, making for a gorgeous photo op.

The quiet moment was most likely welcome given the packed itinerary during their brief—and impactful—trip. Her address at Model NATO made the most headlines given Sophie’s longtime support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, a United Nations initiative with an aim of putting more women at the center of conflict resolution and in the face of great danger to themselves.

And now, back to England.