Duchess Sophie's heartfelt eye health mission has special link to Lady Louise

The Duchess of Edinburgh met patients and medical staff working to eliminate trachoma, before sharing a joyful dance with one of the people she met at the eye clinic.

Sophie visited Mukuni Rural Health Centre in Livingstone, where she heard about Zambia’s progress in tackling trachoma, a preventable cause of blindness. 

She became particularly passionate about the cause after her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, was born with an eye condition.

The Royal Family also highlighted the wider purpose of her visit, sharing photographs on Instagram alongside the message: “The Duchess of Edinburgh has visited the Republic of Zambia to celebrate the relationship between Zambia and the UK.”

The Duchess’s programme also gave her an opportunity to discover another side of life in Zambia when she visited Jewel of Africa.

The company shared photographs from her visit, revealing that Sophie was given a behind-the-scenes look at its workshop.

She met members of the team, including young refugees who have received jewellery-making training through with the UN Refugee Agency’s MADE51 programme.

Jewel of Africa said it was “incredibly honoured” to host Sophie during her official visit and described the occasion as an opportunity to show her the value being added to Zambian gemstones through local skill and craftsmanship.