Duchess Sophie surprises ‘Strictly' audiences for heartfelt purpose

Duchess Sophie, who is preparing for her big Christmas break with the family, took a moment from the festivities to deliver a special surprise for the Strictly Come Dancing audience.

The Duchess of Edinburgh, who is a Patron of Mencap, had some sweet words to share about a ‘amazing’ participant Ellie Goldstein in a video compiled as a tribute for her.

“I’m Patron of MENCAP and Ellie is one of our amazing supporters,” Sophie said of the first person with Down’s syndrome to feature on the show. “She has dispelled quite a number of perceptions of people with learning disabilities.”

The 24-year-old model and actress had returned on Saturday night’s episode with her dance partner Vito Coppola after her exit. She had dubbed him as the “best guy in the world”.

Apart from Sophie, there were other royal appearances as well. Queen Camilla had issued an official statement for Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as they took their “last twirl” as hosts of the show.

The Queen Consort spoke about the show and how it is more than just dancing but also about “friendships: the bonds forged, the struggles overcome and the joy shared in undertaking a joint endeavor”.

She added that the “warmth, compassion and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show’s success”.