Duchess Sophie set on bringing new purpose to life

The Duchess of Edinburgh has seen a long-held passion for gardening bloom into reality, as she helped bring her own co-designed “Plants With Purpose Garden” to life ahead of the Royal Windsor Flower Show on 6 June 2026.

Working alongside co-designer Alan Williams and the Landform Consultants team, the Duchess took part in planting and final preparations for the garden, which aims to spotlight the importance of healthy soil, pollinator-friendly planting and greater understanding of how food is grown.

The Duchess played an active role in shaping the design from the outset, ensuring her vision was reflected in every detail of the finished garden, which is now ready to welcome the public at the prestigious floral showcase.

Meanwhile, during a separate engagement in Portugal, she was seen taking part alongside the Duke of Edinburgh meeting British organisations operating in the country.

The royal couple shared laughter throughout the visit, including demonstrations at UK-Portuguese aerospace firm Tekeva, where they helped assemble a drone and experimented with controlling its camera using an Xbox console. 

They also joined in local traditions in Porto, taking part in the ceremonial “baptising” of a port cask shared by Hello's royal editor.

As they approach their 27th wedding anniversary, the couple appeared in high spirits, balancing official duties with moments of warmth and humour during their overseas programme.

The visit also featured a more serious note when the Duchess addressed a Model NATO conference, speaking to students about her work with the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security agenda. 

She also voiced her support for the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, telling young delegates: “Sexual violence in conflict is really a scourge on the world.”