Yahoo Movies Sophie, Countess of Wessex Becomes First British Royal to Visit Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jane Barlow/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Sophie, Countess of Wessex is making a historic visit for a critical cause.
Queen Elizabeth's daughter-in-law, 57, stepped out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday, becoming the first member of the British royal family to ever visit the African country.
"Her Royal Highness' visit will focus on addressing the devastating impact of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict, while supporting and empowering survivors and tackling the stigma they face," the palace said in a statement.
Sophie's trip has been planned for "many months" and comes ahead of the International Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Conference in London in November, which she'll also attend. Uniting foreign officials, international groups, faith communities and survivors of sexual violence, the meeting will aim to "step up global action on tackling conflict-related sexual violence," the palace said.
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Jane Barlow/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
In a 2020 report, Doctors Without Borders said it gave care to over 10,000 survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that year; 19% of the people were under age 18.
Accompanied by Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon to the Congo, the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Sophie met with reps from TRIAL International, an NGO fighting impunity for international crimes and offering legal support to survivors of conflict-related violence. The Countess of Wessex also met Theo Ngwabije, Governor of South Kivu Province, at his office in Bukavu on Monday.
Jane Barlow/PA Wire via ZUMA
Sophie also spent time with representatives from the Pole Pole Foundation, an NGO dedicated to protecting the critically endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas of Kahuzi-Biega National Park. There, Sophie spoke with Pole Pole founder John Kahekwa Munihuzi, accepted handmade gifts and even received a Congolese name, PA reported.
In national tradition, the royal was given the name "Umoja Mama Louise" — Umoja meaning "unity" in Swahili and "Mama" preceding the name of her eldest child, Louise. A mom of two, Sophie shares daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and son James, Viscount Severn, 14, with her husband Prince Edward.
Jane Barlow/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Following the honor, the countess planted a tree seedling with a plaque bearing her Congolese name to mark the visit.
Sophie's visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is part of the wider return to royal duties following the funeral services of Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 19 and the following mourning period. A guest who attended the state funeral at Westminster Abbey told PEOPLE that Sophie had remarkable resolve at the service for her mother-in-law.
"The Countess of Wessex was incredible. I saw her putting her arm around three or four people," lawyer Pranav Bhanot said. "It felt like she was really the glue keeping everyone quite strong today."
Jane Barlow/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Recalling that he saw Sophie comfort everyone from the presiding bishops to Kate Middleton, the guest said that the royal stayed strong for those around her.
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"From where I was I got the sense that... sometimes you have that one strong person in a family who's kind of keeping everyone together. To me, it seemed like Sophie was that person today," he added. "It was something that really stood out because it seemed that she really was very strong."
