THE FORGOTTEN ROYALS
PRINCE PHILIP PREPARES EDWARD FOR HIS NEXT ROYAL ROLE
Why Edward and Sophie’s quiet lives may soon change
It’s a subject nobody likes to think about, or heaven forbid, mention in front of the Queen. But when Prince Philip passes away, there are going to be some changes to the workings of the royal family, and there is one couple in particular whose lives will never be the same again.
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, will inherit his father’s title of Duke of Edinburgh and although he has already taken on a lot of Philip’s responsibilities since his dad retired from public duties last year, he will have to step up even more. This will mean that he and wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who have successfully managed to keep a very low profile, will be in the spotlight more than ever.
The pair work tirelessly, carrying out a slew of engagements from opening cancer clinics and touring factories through to hosting meetings, lunches and forums on behalf of a range of charities and organisations. Yet they get very little publicity, and in a way, have almost become the forgotten royals.
“Edward has moulded into an efficient figure who doesn’t seek attention or headlines,”
says a palace insider. “He and Sophie are liked for being dutiful and uncomplaining.”
Unless they’re at an event with other royals, or something out of the ordinary happens
– like the time Sophie kissed a Chelsea pensioner when he serenaded her – chances are they won’t get media coverage.
Back in 2012, like other members of the royal family, Edward and Sophie represented the Queen overseas as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. They undertook a gruelling 14-day visit to the Caribbean, carrying out numerous engagements, but there was no mention at all in the media back home even though, as one official put it, “they worked their socks off”.
True, many of their official visits are hardly glamorous. As one royal watcher stated, their assignments tend to be “third division. If a grommet factory or a rest home needs a royal visit, the Wessexes will oblige.” The list of their engagements bears witness to the miles they travel and the often dreary nature of the duties they willingly undertake. They don’t get the plum jobs, but you never hear them complaining.
Sophie, in particular, takes care not to draw attention to herself. When she first joined the royal family, she struggled with comments that she would be the “next Princess Diana”.
“That was the last thing she wanted,” says a friend. “She hated the idea that she was the natural successor to Diana.”
There have been whispers that Sophie, who was at one stage the highest ranked royal wife because Princes Charles and Andrew had divorced, wasn’t happy about being pushed down the pecking order after Charles married Camilla, then William and now Harry ended up with younger, more glamorous brides.
But it has actually been “positively liberating” for her, says the friend. She appreciates being able to get on with her royal duties, and being a mum to daughter Lady Louise (14) and son James, Viscount Severn (10), without everything she says, does and wears being analysed.
The countess took it well when a shake-up of royal spending in 2012 meant she no longer has full-time police protection. It is now only provided when she is carrying out official duties.
Her brother-in-law Andrew kicked up a big fuss about his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie losing their round-the-clock police guard, and Edward was also said to be unhappy. But Sophie – the daughter of a tyre salesman and a secretary – was “entirely relaxed”, tells another friend.
“It meant they could live life as an ordinary family, which is how she was brought up. Sophie is at her most content when she is driving the children to school and picking them up again.”
And Sophie doesn’t need public approval because she knows she has the support and appreciation of the most important person – the Queen.
“She’s trusted and relied upon by the Queen in a way I couldn’t say applied to the Duchess of Cambridge or the Duchess of Cornwall,” says a royal aide. “The countess is just like another daughter to Her Majesty, they are that close.”
Despite an age gap of more than 40 years, they share common interests, such as a love of military history and horses, and have the same work ethic. Sophie will often spend Friday nights at Windsor Castle when the Queen is there, having in-depth chats, says an aide. “The Queen talks to Sophie in the way she used to talk to her sister Princess Margaret.”
Her Majesty also appreciates the fact that Edward and Sophie have made their marriage work, unlike his siblings.
Once Edward and Sophie become the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, life will change hugely. Sophie may no longer be able to do her own hair, compile her own research before visits and drive herself to some engagements. But she and Edward will rise to the challenge their new roles will bring.
“They have been doing a great job representing the Queen, albeit quietly and without any fuss, so far,” says the aide. “They will no doubt continue to do that and be a credit to her.”