Pictures of a grieving Sophie Rhys-Jones, Countess of Wessex, sorrowfully studying tributes to the Queen and taking a moment in her car following the hearse have resonated with distraught royal fans. The moment doctors declared they were concerned for Her Majesty's health, Sophie, along with her husband Prince Edward, dashed up to Balmoral to be by her mother-in-law's side.
She and the now Queen Consort were the only non-blood relatives to be there in her final hours - but Sophie is said to have been like a 'second daughter' to the late monarch - often described as the 'Queen's favourite'. But it hadn't always been this way, with their close bond taking several years to blossom.
The Countess, who married the Queen's youngest son, Earl of Wessex, in 1999, was also pictured this week comforting her sister-in-law Princess Anne, as they watched Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrive in Edinburgh to lie in rest at the Palace of Holyroodhouse overnight.
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Living just 10 miles away from Windsor Castle at their residence in Bagshot Park, Surrey, the Wessexes frequently visited the Queen and would spend time together on long dog walks.
Sophie reportedly leant on Her Majesty when her own mother passed away in 2005 and they became close confidants.
The Queen personally invited her to travel to several church services and they're said to have watched old movies together.
Last year, following the death of Prince Philip, a royal source said Sophie had been a "tremendous source of comfort to the Queen."
They added: "Sophie cherishes her relationship with the Queen and not only appreciates her guidance and wisdom throughout her own life, she is very protective of her.
"Their bond is very like a mother and daughter and the feeling of love and respect is quite mutual. It is very special."
She was also the first member of The Firm to open up publicly following the duke's passing, and honoured him by planting a rose in his memory during the royal family's Holyrood Week visit to Scotland.
But it wasn't a smooth ride for the Earl and Countess as they didn't become full-time royals until the Queen's Golden Jubilee year of 2002.
They both wished to continue lucrative careers running their own businesses, with Sophie in PR and Prince Edward in TV.
Coming from a middle-class family, the 57-year-old grew up in Kent and trained as a secretary.
She then began working in public relationships, representing firms across the UK, including working for Capital Radio for four years - which is where she met the Prince.
She then launched her own PR agency - RJH Public Relations - with a business partner in 1996.
Two decades later, the Countess is now patron of more than 70 charities and organisations, including Childline and London College of Fashion, undertaking more than 200 engagements a year - from visiting schools to military bases.
On her transition to becoming a full-time royal from her ordinary 'girl next door' persona, Sophie previously said: "Certainly it took me a while to find my feet.
"The frustration was I had to reduce my expectations of what I could actually do. I couldn't turn up at a charity and go, right, 'I think you should be doing this,' because that's what I was used to doing in my working life.
"I had to take a really big step back and go, OK, they want you to be the icing on the cake, the person to come in to thank their volunteers and funders, not necessarily to tell them how to run their communications plan."
The royal couple has also tried to give their two children - Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and James, Viscount Severn, 14, a normal upbringing - as normal as it can be - ensuring they attend sleepovers and parties with friends.
They have been encouraged to work to make their way in the world, with Lady Louise reportedly taking a part-time job in a garden centre throughout the summer, and neither go by HRH titles.
Alongside a photo of Sophie dressed in black joining the Procession of Queen Elizabeth's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, one social media user wrote: "Seeing Sophie is breaking my heart".
Another wrote: "They were so close, and family means so much to Sophie... I think it would be like losing your mom again".
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