Could Sophie Wessex step into the royal spotlight following Sussex's exit?

With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepping back from their royal duties, other royals will have to step up to the plate.

And it looks like the Queen's 'favourite' daughter-in-law could be attending more royal engagements.

Sophie Wessex stepped out on Monday night at the UK-Africa investment summit at Buckingham Palace.

The event was hosted by Prince William and Kate Middleton, so it was a pretty big affair. 

She put her birthday celebrations to the side to attend the event with her husband, Prince Edward.

And a royal expert has suggested that she is the 'perfect' person to 'pick up the slack' after Prince Andrew's 'retirement' and Harry and Meghan's decision to remove themselves from the limelight.

Speaking to MailOnline, veteran royal reporter Phil Dampier, said that the pair would be the best person to go to.

'Prince Edward has kept a very low profile in recent years but his wife Sophie has become a star in her own right,' he told the publication.

It is also believed that Sophie and Queen Elizabeth are very close.

With Phil telling the publication: 'She is very close to Her Majesty and is a favourite of hers. Recently she has been on several overseas trips and done fantastically well.'

Speaking to the Sun last September, a royal source said that Sophie is 'trusted and relied on' by the Queen in ways that the Camilla and Kate are not, adding that she is 'more like a daughter' than a daughter-in-law.