The Duchess of Edinburgh attended a moving exhibition before her rare engagement with Prince William.
Sophie, 60, marked the approach of International Day to End Sexual Violence in Conflict with a significant visit to IWM London's groundbreaking exhibition, Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict.
The royal visit took place on Wednesday at the museum's first major UK exhibition dedicated to this under-reported subject.
On Friday, Sophie will be joining her nephew, Prince William, for a day out at the Royal Cornwall Show.
Duchess of Edinburgh attends moving exhibition before her rare engagement with Prince William.
IWM / Getty
Sophie has established herself as a prominent advocate for the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the UK Government's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
The exhibition, which has been six years in development, examines sexual violence in conflict from World War One to the present day. It explores the perpetration of such violence, its devastating impact on victims and survivors, and ongoing efforts towards justice and reconciliation.
Her commitment to amplifying the voices of survivors, women peacebuilders and children born of wartime sexual violence has taken her to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In October 2024, she made history by becoming the first member of the Royal Family to visit Ukraine since the conflict began. That same month, she achieved another milestone as the first royal to visit Chad, demonstrating her dedication to supporting those affected by conflict-related sexual violence worldwide.
The Duchess of Edinburgh is a strong advocate against sexual violence.
IWM
Upon arrival at IWM London, the Duchess was welcomed by Director-General Caro Howell and Board Chair Sir Guy Weston. Lead Curator Helen Upcraft and Exhibitions Manager Jack Davies guided her through the powerful displays.
During her tour, Sophie met exhibition contributors Dr Paul Kirby from Queen Mary University and Sarah Sands, former Chair of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
Both experts feature in the exhibition's opening and closing films, providing crucial context for visitors.
The Duchess examined exhibits documenting the "Comfort Women Corps" during World War Two, the 2014 Yazidi genocide perpetrated by ISIS, and the experiences of Les Tondues and Bosnian children born of wartime sexual violence.
The Duchess of Edinburgh made the visit on Wednesday.
IWM
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Sophie made the visit ahead of her trip to Cornwall with Prince William.
IWM
The exhibition showcases the work of four NGOs combating sexual violence in conflict. Sophie met Sonja Miley and Maddy Crowther, Co-Executive Directors of Waging Peace, and Sara Bowcutt, Managing Director of Women for Women International UK.
She viewed photojournalist Hazel Thompson's work documenting Women for Women International's support for women war survivors.
A traditional Sudanese cloth toub titled 'Peace by Piece', created by women affected by war and presented with Waging Peace, was also displayed.
The free exhibition runs until November 2 at IWM London.
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