Email Sophie, Countess of Wessex enjoyed a welcome return to the spotlight on Monday as the British royal family adjusts to life without Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Sophie (née Sophie Rhys-Jones) has been married to Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Edward for more than 20 years and during that time, has become a quiet confidante to her mother-in-law, while also becoming one of her favourites in the inner sanctum of Buckingham Palace.
Sophie and Edward both work as full-time royals, but their star — like most of the queen’s children other than Charles — has been overshadowed in recent years by Kate Middleton and Prince William, and until now, Meghan and Harry.But it was a return to their glory days as newlyweds and Sophie and Edward were recruited to help bolster the guestlist with some royal stardust at a reception to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace.
At the same time, 5,000 miles away, Harry finally returned to Canada to reunite with his wife and their eight-month-old son Archie, and officially begin their new life there as semi-private citizens. Grainy pictures of Prince Harry arriving at Vancouver International Airport were published this morning, as were pictures of Meghan carrying her son in an Ergobaby 360 Mesh Omni carrier, walking their two dogs Oz and Guy. Log In
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The former actress-turned-duchess beamed on a hike at Horth Hill Regional Park on a misty day in Vancouver, and this set of paparazzi shots juxtaposed with the formalities of last night’s event at the Palace show the stark difference in the couple have chosen away from the UK.
And since their departure — the details of which was finalised on Saturday — there is a vacancy for qualified royals available for official engagements. Since Prince Andrew retired from public life in disgrace after his car crash BBC interview questioning his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, there are only a handful of experienced royals ready and able to carry them into this time of change.
For years, it has been reported that Prince Charles wanted a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy, similar to other European royal families, but his son — and his family — were central to that. Andrew’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie both work full-time and the Cambridge children are still babies, which leaves only Princess Anne left to fill the growing workload, but she is turning 70 this year. Her children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips are both private citizens as she opted not to give them a title at birth, and both are financially independent, only called upon for family-adjacent royal occasions.
Which means that suddenly Sophie and Edward have become the most valuable asset of the family now, hiding in plain sight for the last two decades. Although both experienced their own Sussex-esque controversy when it came to earning money prompting their decision to quit their professional lives in 2002 (Sophie as the director of her own PR firm and Edward as an aspiring film producer) and become full-time royals.
The couple were introduced to one another in 1993 and were dating for six years, before exchanging vows at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, where Meghan and Harry wed in May 2018. Sophie works with 70 charities as part of her work, and spends the rest of her time at engagements working on behalf of Queen Elizabeth. More pertinently, last night also marked Sophie’s 55th birthday, a milestone occasion both personally and professionally as she gears up to play a greater role in the next chapter of the royal family. The mother-of-two (to 16-year-old Lady Louise Windsor and 12-year-old James, Viscount Severn) arrived to the event in a cap sleeved knit dress by Alaïa and velvet Jimmy Choo heels in camel; acting as a welcome new icon for middle-aged women the world over and the first step into her new role as a potential superstar-in-waiting. Meanwhile, it was business as usual for Kate, who debuted a new shimmering red midi dress by British label Needle & Thread, and husband William, who hosted the event. It’s reported that Wililam and Harry had a private heart to heart before his departure to Canada as the brothers recognised it was time to begin mending their relationship. “It has been ground-breaking in terms of saving their bond as brothers and has been totally driven by them,» a source told The Sun. “But Kate and Meghan, who was in Canada, did join in with some of the talks on more than one occasion, which is another sign of a real thaw in their relationship. Things are better.»
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