Following a shared car journey, the relationship between the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex has been put under the microscope. The two royals sat beside each other in one vehicle as they followed the Queen Consort and Princess of Wales on the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth II's coffin lies in state, writes The Mirror.
Sophie, who has been married to the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, since 1999, was widely known for having a close relationship with her late mother-in-law, who she affectionately called 'Mama'. The Queen's 'second daughter' and youngest son, aged 57 and 58 respectively, have two children together; the Queen's 'favourite' granddaughter, 18-year-old Lady Louise Windsor, and 14-year-old Viscount Severn.
Sophie and the Queen Consort were the only non-blood relatives to be present at Balmoral following the death of the Queen last week, The Mirror reports. The Countess of Wessex is believed to have become close with the late monarch following the passing of her mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, who died from stomach cancer in 2005, aged 77.
Read more: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, could inherit Queen's old title of Duchess of Edinburgh
The Earl and Countess of Wessex reside at Bagshot Park, which is close to Windsor and allowed Sophie and the late Queen to meet up for dog walks. The pair shared a passion for military history, and could often be found looking through documents in the Royal Archives in Windsor.
Sophie, who grew up middle class and founded a PR firm before marrying Edward, had to make major changes to her life when she joined the Royal Family. For that reason, the 57-year-old has been compared to the Duchess of Sussex, 41, who also underwent a huge transition when she became a member of the Royal Family.
Despite the ongoing tensions between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family, one source has claimed that Sophie could help put an end to the estrangement. According to The Times, Sophie was the first member of the Royal Family to visit the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor following the birth of their son, Archie, in 2019; a source told the outlet that Sophie is 'normal' and has empathy that perhaps others in The Firm 'don't naturally have'.
Similar interests
The Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers previously told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat that Sophie and Meghan share the same interests. Back in March, the Countess went on a four-day solo tour of New York City, where many of the events focussed on promoting women's rights, something Meghan is also passionate about.
He said: "The similarities between Sophie and Meghan are there to be seen. Sophie’s working with girls' education, she’s done a lot of stuff about violence against females in Africa...
"Are the Instagram generation going to be as obsessed with Sophie and Edward Wessex as they are with the Sussexes? Obviously not.
"However, when you’re dealing with them... Sophie’s really across her subject matter."
He poignantly added "It’s not just for show. With the Sussexes not here, the Wessexes will undoubtedly benefit."
Sophie wished Meghan and Harry happiness
In a rare interview with The Sunday Times, Sophie compared her experience with Meghan's, and ultimately wished the Sussexes well in their new life in America. Contrasting Meghan and Harry's experience to hers with Edward, Sophie told the publication: "Remember I’d had five years to adjust [to royal life].
"And for our six-month engagement I was even staying at Buckingham Palace. Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out."
Speaking about the Sussexes leaving The Firm, she added: "I just hope they will be happy."
But possibly more pointedly, she said that the royal family do all they can to try to assist new members to adjust to the royal life, adding: "We all try to help any new members of the family."
Oprah joke
In March 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey all about their experiences in The Firm in a bombshell televised interview. The couple made some damning claims about the Royal Family, with some members of royal circles taking offence when it was revealed that Buckingham Palace had not been given right of reply prior to the airing of the interview.
But the Countess of Wessex made light of the situation when she and Prince Edward sat down for an interview with the Telegraph's royal editor Camilla Tominey. When the couple were quizzed about the Oprah tell-all, Edward joked: "Oprah who?"
Sophie followed up with: "Yes, what interview?"
She was later asked about the Archbishop of Canterbury allegedly not knowing who Oprah was at the Sussex wedding. The Countess replied: "You know, if you’re not into chat shows, there’s no reason why you should know who she is. Certainly not in this country, anyway."
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