The Duchess of Edinburgh has taken on the role of royal patron of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), marking the occasion with a visit to the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

Sophie, a skilled skier, swapped the summer heat for artificial slopes, where she was kitted out in full ski gear and raced across the indoor snow.

She also had a go at laser rifle target practice during the engagement.

In 2025, she joined her husband Prince Edward and their teenage son, James, Earl of Wessex, for a skiing holiday in St Moritz in Switzerland. It is almost an annual tradition for the family.

In comparison, during the same week, the Wales family flew to the Caribbean island of Mustique for a sun-soaked, transatlantic trip.

Sophie and Edward also stepped out in St Moritz for the Alpine World Ski Championships together in 2003.

In February of this year, Sophie made an appearance in Méribel, France, in her role as patron of the UK Armed Forces Winter Sports Association (UKAFSWA) to watch the Independent Ski Schools championship.

There, she could be seen sporting a chic hooded puffer coat paired with a purple bobble hat, branded for the occasion, to tackle the freezing conditions.

Her enthusiasm for the sport was evident, as noted by the UKAFSWA on Instagram, which declared: "It was clear how much she genuinely enjoyed meeting the athletes".

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Sophie had previously been spotted on the Méribel back in 2005.

Today, Sophie yet again displayed her infamous passion for the slopes as she observed AFPST athletes training and spent time meeting the charity's coaches, volunteers and board members who keep the organisation running behind the scenes.

AFPST provides support to wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans by offering adaptive skiing, snowboarding and Nordic disciplines - a mission similar to that of Prince Harry's Invictus Games.

The charity's programmes help participants regain confidence and resilience, foster a sense of community, and open doors to coaching, competitive sport and adventure pursuits.

Among the organisation's most ambitious forthcoming projects is Project Vidda, a flagship initiative that will send a team of amputee veterans on an unsupported Arctic expedition across Norway's Vidda plateau.

The crossing represents a remarkable test of endurance and determination, embodying the spirit of recovery and achievement that lies at the core of AFPST's work.