Emily Nash: why Duchess Sophie stopped me in my tracks today...
In a week of royal taboo-busting, it's the candid Duchess who surprised the most
Hello royal clubbers!
It’s been quite the week for busting health taboos in the royal family and it’s been fascinating to watch.
As the Princess of Wales continues her recovery from abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and we await an update on the King’s treatment for an enlarged prostate, three other senior royal women have been holding the fort.
Queen Camilla has made three visits in support of survivors of domestic abuse, while the Princess Royal held an investiture at Windsor Castle among many other engagements.
But it was the Duchess of Edinburgh who really stopped me in my tracks today.
Sophie spent time with teenage pupils at Harris Academy in East Dulwich, South London, and was pictured holding up period products as she cut through any embarrassment to discuss menstrual health.
We’ve had royals talking about mental health for a while and more recently sharing their diagnoses in the hope of raising public awareness.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex worked with the Indian charity Myna Mahila on period poverty both before and after her marriage to Prince Harry.
But I can’t remember a royal ever being as open about menstruation as Sophie was today.