Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, marks 60th birthday in new portrait

A new portrait of the Duchess of Edinburgh has been released to celebrate her 60th birthday.

In the picture, taken by London-based fashion photographer Christina Ebenezer earlier this month, Sophie looks relaxed and happy as she perches in a window seat at her Surrey home.

Buckingham Palace said Sophie was interested in Ebenezer’s style of photography and wanted to support a rising female photographer.

She will mark her birthday on Monday privately at home with the Duke of Edinburgh.

The photo, taken at Bagshot Park, shows the duchess wearing a black turtleneck jumper and a pleated cream skirt.

Sophie’s public profile has grown in recent years, having been hailed as a dependable figure in a slimmed-down working monarchy following the departures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Prince Andrew, as well as the King and Princess of Wales’s health troubles.

She became the first member of the royal family to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, travelling to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska last April.

They discussed how to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

The Palace said that as the duchess turns 60, she has a renewed sense of commitment to her gender equality work and looked forward to further championing the issue in the future.

Ebenezer, born in Lagos, Nigeria, before moving to London at the age of four, has previously been recognised as a Forbes 30 Under 30 arts and culture leader and a British Fashion Council New Wave Creative.

Two of her portraits – of British actresses Michaela Coel and Letitia Wright – were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery last year.