As a senior member of the Royal Family, the Duchess of Edinburgh has a busy schedule of engagements of her own, though she recently undertook a poignant three-day visit representing King Charles. From July 10-12 the Duchess was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, in which over 8000 Muslim men and boys were killed.
Duchess Sophie delivered a message from King Charles at the Commemoration, as well as offering her own personal, poignant gesture of support. This moving moment came as she visited an art installation at Sarajevo City Hall.
The Mother’s Scarf installation is a collection of scarves which represents the courage and strength of the Mothers of Srebrenica who lost sons, husbands and relatives in the genocide. Visiting the installation with Velma Šarić, a prominent human rights defender and journalist from the region, she donated a scarf of her own.
The senior royal presented it to Velma in a touching sign of empathy. After Duchess Sophie gave her scarf, she was presented with a special metallic Srebrenica flower - a symbol of remembrance for the genocide.
The flower's eleven petals represent July 11, the date the genocide began. The white of the petals symbolizes the innocence of the victims, and the green center is a sign of hope for justice and recognition. The Duchess was already wearing a Srebrenica flower pinned to her dress for this important visit.
Officially representing the King, Duchess Sophie read out a message at the Commemoration that referenced the "continuing anguish" of those who work to preserve the memory of those who were killed in the genocide.
"I humbly salute the Mothers of Srebrenica, and all who do so much, despite their continuing anguish, to preserve the memory of those who died. It has meant a very great deal to me, in past years, to have met survivors, mothers and family members of the missing, for whom I have such admiration," she read.
The message continued, "Only by learning from the past does it become possible to share in each other’s loss and look together to the future. Only by working together to find the missing can there be closure for those still seeking answers."
"Today, as we remember the victims, those who so tragically died and those who were left behind, let us honour their memory by standing alongside each and every one of those who work so tirelessly to promote understanding and tolerance between all peoples, of all faiths, nationalities and ethnicities, in the ongoing pursuit of a just and brighter future."
As well as delivering this powerful address on behalf of King Charles, Duchess Sophie also gave an interview to The Mirror about her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Outside these walls where we are now there are 8,000 graves. The scale of that is enormous. You look at what is happening in Ukraine, in Sudan, in DRC, these conflicts are huge and the scale is enormous and I'm just one person,” she said. "But I think if I can keep banging the drum it perhaps creates traction somewhere. It would be too easy to give up.”
"I can be emotional but that's not going to help them, I have to be able to take their message and amplify it and that’s what I am here to do,” Duchess Sophie declared.
