Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh is a firm favourite with royal fans, with some experts calling her the Royal Family's 'secret weapon'.
Unlike many other members of the Royal Family, Duchess Sophie wasn't born into aristocracy. The Duchess was considered to have a middle-class upbringing and a relatively 'normal' life, before marrying Prince Edward in 1999.
Before meeting the Duke of Edinburgh, Sophie had a vibrant career working in public relations. The now Duchess worked at Capital Radio and then represented various PR firms across the UK, Switzerland and as far afield as Australia, before launching her own agency, RJH Public Relations, in 1996, which she ran for five years alongside business partner Murray Harkin.
Sophie currently lives with her husband Prince Edward and their two children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex, at Bagshot Park in Surrey. But the Duchess grew up in nearby Brenchley, Kent, and later attended West Kent College, training as a secretary before her foray into the media world. This is what we know about the rise of Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, including her siblings, where she grew up and went to school.
Does Duchess Sophie have siblings?
Duchess Sophie has one sibling - David Rhys-Jones. They are the only offspring of parents Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary Rhys-Jones. Sophie's brother used to own a pub, but it was sadly forced to close in 2012. David Rhys-Jones has trained as an undertaker and now works at a funeral parlour in East Sussex, according to reporting from the Daily Mail.
Sophie and David, despite having a relatively normal upbringing, actually do have royal ancestry as a descendant of Henry II of France, according to royal fan website BritRoyals.
Where did Duchess Sophie grow up?
Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born on 20 January 1965 in Oxford, however her parents moved to Kent when she was still very young. The family settled in Brenchley, not far from Tunbridge Wells.
The Duchess started her school years at a Dulwich Preparatory School in Kent, before moving to independent girls school Kent College in Pembury. She then went on to train as a secretary at West Kent College in Tunbridge.
It was Sophie's later PR career in London that led her to Prince Edward and her role in the Royal Family. The couple met when Prince Edward was visiting Capital Radio, where Sophie was working as a press officer, The Express reports. The Earl of Wessex was actually dating Sophie's friend at the time, but the couple got together when they reconnected again in 1993, according to reporting from US Weekly.
Sophie said of her relationship with Edward during a January 1999 press photo call on the grounds of St James’ Palace, "I think we share a number of interests, we laugh a lot and we have a great friendship." Prince Edward then added, "We are the very best of friends and that’s essential, but it also helps that we also love each other very much."
