Sophie's been supportive from the start! Duchess helped an 11-year-old Princess Beatrice as she fainted on the balcony on Remembrance Sunday - 25 years before comforting 'stoic' Kate

The Duchess of Edinburgh stood with Kate on the balcony at the Cenotaph The Duchess of Edinburgh has been labelled the 'royal who brings a sense of calm and support to some of the most emotionally-charged occasions' - and this was true even 25 years ago, just six months after Sophie married into The Firm. The princess managed to remain at the service until the end of the national anthem Sophie offers a helping hand to Beatrice who collapsed at the Remembrance Sunday Service in 1990 On Sunday, the Duchess of Edinburgh once again showed why she is one of the most trusted members of the current royal family - as she helped support Kate 'But it also looked like a small but powerful signal to William and even George and Charlotte that, even when William is not at Kate’s side, she is still surrounded by royal family that are taking very good care of her, albeit subtly.' Side-by-side: With Prince William joining the King to lay wreaths, Kate took her place on the balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with the Duchess of Edinburgh - who, says body language expert Judi James, took on a maternal role Sophie, 59, offered a reassuring touch of the hand on Kate's back as the two women left the balcony following the two minutes' silence. Body language expert James says the Duchess of Edinburgh echoed the supportive touches also shown by Prince William on Saturday evening at the Royal Albert Hall For Kate, much has changed in the year since she last attended the Remembrance Service, with the royal revealing to the nation earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Deep in thought: The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh look straight ahead as the clock struck 11am on Sunday - with James saying Kate looked 'so much like a future queen' The Princess of Wales appeared to bite back tears in an emotional moment as she undertook her second engagement in two days On her coat was a 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards Brooch, alongside three five-petal royal poppies.