The Duchess of Edinburgh has kicked off a 10-day tour of South and Central America, where she came face-to-face with the ‘king of spiders’ on a jungle trek in Peru
A nervous Duchess of Edinburgh came face-to-face with the ‘king of spiders’ as she ventured on a jungle trek. Sophie brought her hand to her chest as she tentatively inspected a Goliath birdeater – the biggest tarantula in the world – as she visited the Peruvian Amazon while on her tour of South and Central America.
The Duchess is currently on a 10-day tour of the region visiting Peru, Panama and Guatemala at the request of the Foreign Office, and also to Belize – one of the King’s overseas realms. Sophie explored the dense forests with two guides and also took the opportunity to hold a green anaconda snake as well as cradle a tiny turtle before releasing it into the wild.
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Wearing green trousers and black wellies, Sophie also spotted a sloth resting in the trees as she made her way through the jungle. Taking out her mobile phone she snapped photos of the creature as it curled itself around the branches.
The National Geographic describes the Goliath birdeater as the largest arachnid on the planet. Dubbed “the king of spiders”, it can weight up to 170g with a leg span of nearly 30cm, but its venom is not lethal to humans, only to small creatures. It does not usually eat birds, only occasionally, preferring insects, frogs and rodents.
Earlier on her trip to Peru, Sophie visited the Iquitos Naval Base, where she was shown around the BAP America, which is the oldest river gunboat in the world.
Built in Birkenhead in 1904, the ship served in the Peruvian navy’s Amazon flotilla and has been on show at a museum since 2015. She also met with women from the indigenous Awajun, Shipibo-Konibo and Kukama Kukamiria tribes who have played a role in defending women’s rights.
Sophie heard how they have taken on leadership roles and their contributions to territorial governance and tackling environmental crime and climate change.
Later, she attended a dinner marking the UK’s first year of implementing a biodiverse landscape programme. The fund is designed for sustainable production and bio-business in the Andes and Amazon regions.
Sophie has become known for tackling tough subjects head-on. Her high-profile duties have included visiting Ukraine and Iraq, supporting women who have experienced conflict-related sexual violence.
Earlier this year she confessed her work can “take its toll” on her emotions, but added: “I hope that I make a difference. It’s very hard because sometimes these issues are overwhelming because of the scale.
“But of course, being practical, my role and my husband’s role is to support the King – as it was [previously] to support the Queen. We are fortunate because we are able to not be in a front-and-centre role, so it allows us the flexibility to explore our own interests.”
