Sophie, Countess of Wessex is the spouse of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, who’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s youngest son. She caught the eye of audiences globally after sitting subsequent to Meghan Markle in a automotive in the course of the royal procession to Westminster Abbey, however she has been a loyal member of the royal household since 1999.
In line with royal skilled Kinsey Schofield, when Sophie first joined the royal household she had hassle discovering her footing as a result of she bore an in depth resemblance to Princess Diana.
“There have been fixed comparisons of the ladies, and a few royal watchers even accused Sophie of attempting to ‘steal Princess Diana’s type,'” Schofield defined, including that it was comparable for Prince Andrew’s spouse on the time — Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
Regardless of the preliminary struggles in profitable the general public over, the queen appeared to have accepted Sophie into the household with open arms and developed a really shut relationship together with her all through the years. The queen would usually discuss with Sophie as her second daughter, and Sophie was the one non-blood relative on the queen’s facet at Balmoral in the course of the monarch’s remaining hours.
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Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is alleged to have been very shut with the queen, with the queen referring to her as her second daughter.
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“Much like the queen, Sophie has shied away from the highlight and has grow to be a little bit of a thriller,” Schofield stated. “Individuals had been drastically moved by a video of the countess crying after the demise of Prince Philip and reassuring mourners that Queen Elizabeth was liked and going to be taken care of. Sophie is a really devoted mom and loving spouse. The queen thought of her a second daughter, and he or she has grow to be an necessary a part of the Mountbatten-Windsor fold.”
The earl and countess met whereas working regular jobs and needed to maintain that normalcy after getting married. Prince Edward needed to proceed in pursuit of his ardour for the artwork world by working as a producer, and Sophie wished to proceed constructing her already profitable PR agency.
Sophie’s life within the public eye has not passed by with out scandal. In 2001, after an incident known as “Sophiegate,” Edward and Sophie determined to set their desires of a traditional life apart, quitting their jobs and dedicating their time to the royal household.
Sophie was the one non-blood relative on the queen’s facet at Balmoral in the course of the monarch’s remaining hours.
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“A reporter for Information of the World disguised as a sheik met with Sophie to discover a PR relationship and, primarily based on their dialog, the countess was accused of exploiting her royal connections,” Schofield defined. “Buckingham Palace was pressured right into a assessment of potential conflicts of curiosity for all working royals.”
The queen’s response to the scandal additional showcased the love she had for her son and his spouse. She publicly denounced the accusations in opposition to Sophie and confirmed assist for her.
When the scandal broke, Buckingham Palace launched an announcement saying, “The queen deplores the entrapment, subterfuge, innuendo and untruth to which the earl and countess have been subjected to in current days.”
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Edward needed to stay regular lives. However after a scandal involving Sophie and her office erupted, they give up their jobs and dedicated themselves to their royal duties.
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“For my part, this has all the time been an awesome instance of Queen Elizabeth’s forgiving nature and proof that if [Prince] Harry and Meghan [Markle] would straighten up … there may in the future be peace and forgiveness,” Schofield stated. “The countess, a PR skilled, dealt with the ‘scandal’ so shortly and quietly that it’s not often mentioned in the present day.”
Schofield believes Sophie may have been an awesome mentor for Markle for the right way to deal with the adverse media consideration on account of her expertise in each the PR world and within the royal household. That relationship, nevertheless, didn’t appear to be of curiosity to Markle, as she selected to depend on American-based PR corporations “that do not perceive the ins and outs of royalty.”
The connection between the 2 was seemingly additional severed when Markle and Prince Harry determined to talk poorly of the royal household throughout their interview with Oprah Winfrey.
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Sophie’s response to a query from a British tabloid concerning the interview hints she wasn’t pleased with Markle. When requested what she considered it, she joked, “Oprah Who?”
Her relationship with Kate, the Princess of Wales, is sort of totally different. They appear to have a deep respect and love for one another. Schofield defined that they each perceive the complexities of marrying into the royal household and the extent of persistence and thick pores and skin their roles require.
“Countess Sophie and the Princess of Wales respect and love one another deeply. Being a Windsor spouse requires a variety of persistence and physique armor,” Schofield defined.
Sophie and Kate Middleton have an in depth relationship and are sometimes seen laughing collectively.
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Each Sophie and Kate sustain the elegant look one expects from members of the royal household. However Schofield says the 2 can usually be seen cracking jokes and guffawing with one another.
“There’s a lot love there,” Schofield famous.
Schofield added that Sophie is a “no-nonsense” particular person “however doesn’t lack compassion.” She’s additionally “a really devoted mom and loving spouse.” Edward and Sophie have two youngsters — Woman Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
“If we do, certainly, see a slimmed-down monarchy underneath King Charles, I’d not be stunned to search out Prince Edward and Sophie included within the combine,” Schofield stated, including, “They’re now two of crucial faces to the agency.”
