The Queen had four children; three sons and one daughter. While she shared a close and strong bond with all of them, she also shared a special relationship with the spouse of one of her children.
Her youngest son, Prince Edward’s wife, Countess of Wessex forged a close relationship with her mother-in-law.
And now, after the monarch’s death, it is becoming even more apparently clear, how close both women were to one another.
Prince Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1987 at Capital Radio. At the time the prince was dating her friend, and hence the two had never even imagined dating one another.
But in 1993, they met again at a charity event and that is when sparks flew. The pair began dating and the prince made things official by bringing Sophie as his plus-one to important official events.
After witnessing the failing marriages of his older siblings; Charles to Princess Diana, Andrew to Sarah Ferguson, and Anne to Mark Phillips. Prince Edward was more mindful of his decision to marry. He deliberated for a while, and finally in 1999 had made up his mind.
The prince announced his engagement in January 1999 to Sophie. He proposed to her with a stunning Asprey and Garrard white gold ring that featured a two-carat oval diamond with two heart-shaped gemstones on either side.
They married in the summer of the same year in a small ceremony that had no military involvement. On the occasion of their wedding, the Queen presented Sophie with a tiara that was made from pieces in her jewels collection.
Since Sophie’s acceptance into the royal fold, she did everything to integrate herself into the family. And judging from the Countess of Wessex’s standing in the family today, she did a pretty good job of it.
Crowds looking at the Countess of Wessex arriving to see the floral tributes could not help but note how forlorn she looked. She bent down and stared at the flowers and messages left for the late Queen Elizabeth for quite a while.
People also noticed that her eyes were rimmed with red, showing that she had been crying. The Countess had been quite close to her mother-in-law, so much so, that she had become like a ‘second daughter’ to her.
In 2002, the pair also grew close after the Queen lost her sister Princess Margaret and then her mother soon after. The two deaths happened close to one another and caused the monarch a lot of grief. This was a time when she leaned on her daughter-in-law Sophie.
And in 2005, Sophie lost her mother Mary Rhys-Jones to stomach cancer, when she had just been 71 years old. After this, she began affectionately referring to the Queen as ‘Mama.’
After the Queen lost her long-time companion, Prince Philip last year, she became even closer to Sophie. At times she would even invite her daughter-in-law to ride in the back seat of the car with her, a place that Prince Philip formerly occupied.
So it only made sense when the family showed up in Scotland to mourn the Queen’s sudden passing and to be with her in her last moments, Sophie was one of the only two non-blood relatives to be present there.
People have often sung praises of the young countess, with one royal insider saying, ‘As countesses go, she’s pretty grounded. And that’s something the Royal Family needs.’
Edward and Sophie are now to become the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as Philip had wished them to become. This comes as a surprise because of the fact that when they had begun their relationship, they were not fan favorites, far from it actually.
In fact, some consider them to have been the ‘Harry and Meghan’ of their day. This is fueled by the fact that both of them insisted of having their own careers outside of their royal duties. While Edward pursued a career in TV production, the carved out her career in PR.
Sophie was even a part of a major scandal when she was involved in a sting operation by a publication called News of the World, where an editor for them posed to be a ‘Fake Sheikh’ and recorded Sophie’s indiscretions. He apparently recorded her comments about the royal family and English politicians which were less than flattering.
Edward also faced criticism for using his status and connections as a royal for his career as a producer. After much criticism, the two of them gave up their careers and doubled down on their royal duties.
The Countess is known for her dedication to her royal duties, and Princess Anne is the second hardest working royal. She has often been lauded for the support she provides to the causes of preventable blindness and the issue of sexual violence in war.
And to keep up with her appearance as a distinguished member of the royal family, she has also made changes to her wardrobe and style. The Countess once wore short skirts and badly fitted suits when she was working as a PR executive. However, in the last decade, she has not only transformed her body by hitting the gym but also by elevating her style.
She hired stylist Pandora Delevingne, who is the mother of supermodel and actress Cara Delevingne and now wears chic suits that suit her physique and status in society.
While Sophie received a private school education, she comes from a middle-class family in Kent. She has come a long way since then and is now considered an invaluable part of ‘The Firm’.
Her friends who have known her since her youth and even before she met Prince Edward claim that the Countess has not changed at all. ‘Being the Queen’s daughter-in-law, and one that has such a particularly close relationship with her, could have changed her but it didn’t. She’s never forgotten her roots,’ one of her friends said.
Sophie really has made a name for herself not only in the Royal Family but generally in the public because of all her hard work and commitment to her royal duties.
The Queen will surely be well remembered and missed by Countess Sophie, her unofficial second daughter of sorts!
What a lovely relationship these women shared with one another. Share the story fo their heartwarming relationship with your friends and family!
