Duchess Sophie charms fans as she follows in footsteps of Kate Middleton

The Duchess of Edinburgh delighted fans on Thursday evening by following in Kate Middleton's footsteps with a special CBeebies Bedtime Story in honour of World Sight Day.

For the occasion, Sophie, 59, read Specs for Rex by Yasmeen Ismail, a charming tale about a little lion who feels hesitant to wear his new glasses to school.

Casually dressed in a pink jumper, tailored trousers, and her own pair of glasses, Sophie introduced the story warmly to young viewers at home. She held a soft toy version of Rex and encouraged everyone to join her for the important story.

She said, "Do you or does anyone in your family wear glasses? Rex used to feel a little shy about wearing his glasses. They'll help him to see better, and they look fabulous, too. Make sure you join us for tonight's CBeebies Bedtime Story to find out how Rex gets on with his new specs."

Viewers were charmed by Sophie’s story choice and delivery, with many suggesting she may have missed her calling as a teacher. "The Duchess of Edinburgh would have made a wonderful teacher," one fan remarked.

A second agreed, adding: "Couldn't agree more! What a gorgeous voice.” Others commented with "Love her voice," and "Beautiful voice".

Meanwhile, one fan took a moment to praise the Duchess for highlighting such an important and seldom acknowledged issue, as they said: "Wow the Duchess of Edinburgh that's a wonderful idea.

Thank you I think all the children all over the world will feel more comfortable wearing there glasses to school and thank you for all your hard work too. You're amazing.”

As well as impressing little ones at home - and their parents - Sophie also took the time to highlight the importance of World Sight Say, which took place on Thursday 10 October, the day the episode aired.

Speaking in a trailer ahead of the programme, Sophie said: "Millions of us need glasses to see the world clearly. World Sight Day is a reminder to all of us to take care of our eyes, whether we need glasses or not. Our eyes are precious, and our sight is something to cherish and look after. So, let's remember to take care of our eyes this World Sight Day.”

The cause is clearly a subject close to the Duchess’ heart, as she visited Tanzania just last month as a Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

Interestingly, Sophie is far from the first royal to have read a bedtime story on CBeebies, with the Princess of Wales also having undertaken the challenge back in 2022 when she read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson.

The princess, who is the royal patron of Place2Be, a children's mental health charity, appeared on the CBeebies show to mark Children's Mental Health Week, a cause she too felt a strong connection to.

In addition, a number of famous faces have also joined the programme over the years including stars such as Tom Hardy, Dolly Parton, Harry Styles and Dave Grohl.