The wife of Prince Edward has a personal connection to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.Credit : Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh visited one of her most personal royal patronages.

The royal visited Thames Valley Air Ambulance in Stokenchurch on Wednesday, Jan. 14. There, she toured the facilities, met with rescue workers and even got some hands-on training practising a lifesaving intervention.

Sophie, who turns 61 next week on Jan. 20, has a special connection to the Thames Valley first responders. Back in 2001, their crew airlifted her from Bagshot Park, the home she shares with her husband, Prince Edward, when she had an ectopic pregnancy. She was transported to London’s King Edward VII hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “an ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus… The fertilized egg can’t survive, and the growing tissue may cause life-threatening bleeding if left untreated.”

Sophie and Edward would go on to welcome two children: Lady Louise Windsor, in 2003, and James, Earl of Wessex, in 2007.

Amanda McLean, Chief Executive of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said it was an honor to welcome Sophie back to Thames Valley Air Ambulance headquarters.

“A former patient as well as our Royal Patron, the Duchess has always been passionate about our mission to give everyone in the region the best possible chance of survival and recovery,” she said, according to the BBC. “It was fantastic to be able to show the Duchess our expanded facilities and give Her Royal Highness an insight into the training our crews undertake.”

Sophie’s visit was referred to as a “morale boost” for the Thames Valley crews, who had a record-breaking year in 20205, with paramedic and doctor crews responding to 3,302 calls, per Hello! magazine.

“The visit follows a very busy year for our crews. We never forget that every single mission we attend is funded by the generosity of our supporters,” McLean said, according to the outlet. “So, as we release our 2025 statistics, I’d like to say a big thank you to the public for keeping us on the frontline of saving lives for another year.”

Sophie was appointed royal patron of the service in January 2019 and was commended for staying in touch with them amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

She’s also frequently paid tribute to other healthcare workers, using her own life-threatening personal experience to express her appreciation for their work. While helping to open a hospital’s new neonatal unit in 2014, the Duchess of Edinburgh said: “The service you can provide can literally make the difference between life and death. I can attest to that.”

Sophie and Edward’s children are the youngest grandchildren of the late Queen Elizabeth by a significant margin and were largely kept out of the public eye during their childhood.

Now, despite the fact that their parents have stepped into more visible roles as senior royals following the accession of King Charles and Edward’s inheritance of his late father’s title, it’s believed that Louise, 22, and James, 18, may not be called upon for major royal duties as adults.

“I think Sophie — and Edward — have been careful to prepare their children for a life outside the working royal family,” royal biographer Sean Smith told GB News in August 2025.