Yes, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly Countess of Wessex) was born a commoner, hailing from a middle-class background in Kent, but became a member of the royal family by marrying Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1999. She is considered a "commoner by birth" who married into royalty, similar to Catherine, Princess of Wales, and is known for her down-to-earth upbringing and integration into the royal fold.
Sophie was there for Kate in an unofficial capacity because she had the same experience of being a commoner marrying into the royal family. They both had really long romances with their husbands-to-be, and Sophie lived at [Buckingham] Palace.
The heroine, of course, is Sophie Rhys-Jones, the commoner from Kent set to marry Prince Edward of the illustrious House of Windsor, seventh in line to inherit the throne now occupied by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
It's understood that Duchess Sophie is technically a Princess because she is the wife of a Prince, though it's not a title that's used by her and never has been. The wife of a royal Prince is entitled to use the feminine forms of her husband's titles.
Sophie grew up in Brenchley, Kent, and later attended West Kent College, training as a secretary. She then worked in public relations, representing firms across the UK, Switzerland and Australia before opening her own agency in 1996. She met Edward in 1987 while working for Capital Radio; they began dating in 1993.
6, 1997, because of the striking resemblance that she and Diana shared. "She had an obvious and reasonable excuse: a friend at the palace explained, 'Sophie decided it would be too upsetting for the crowd if she went,' " Smith wrote in the biography published on July 17, the Daily Mail reported.
After Sophie was promoted from Countess of Wessex to Duchess of Edinburgh, a new rule has been implemented. Now, the 60-year-old reportedly no longer needs to curtsy to Meghan Markle. “Sophie is relieved,” her friend revealed to reporters, according to Hello Magazine.
“They did not like each other,” claims Sean, who says the tension between them was partly due to Diana being annoyed by how much Sophie, now 60, looked like her. When she saw the younger woman, she'd say, “Oh, look, here comes my double”, or, “Here comes Miss Goody Two Shoes.”
And gypsy is a word that crops up a lot because the joke about Kate Middleton (Louise Ford) is that she comes from a family of travellers and likes selling tyres. (Yes writers Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie are not afraid of tweaking the nose of politican correctness either).
Yes, they did. This is the only known photo of them together taken at Lady Sarah Chattos wedding: Diana actually saw Sophie as her replacement in the royal family (because of her looks) which she was threatened by.
How Far Back Does the Royal Family Tree Go? The British royal family's bloodline is one of the most well-documented in history. The lineage of the British monarchy tree, specifically Queen Elizabeth's bloodline, can be traced back 1,209 years and 37 generations with incredible accuracy.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Kate and Sophie's close bond
The pair have shared royal responsibilities, and are regularly seen supporting one another on outings such as Trooping the Colour and the annual Service of Remembrance.
Yes, it's true that Beyoncé is distantly related to Queen Elizabeth II, specifically as her 25th cousin, once removed, connected by their shared ancestor, King Henry II, making "Queen B" a real-life royal relative. Their lineage traces back through French and Acadian roots, linking them through centuries of family lines.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
Why was Diana a princess after her wedding but Kate was a duchess? “Diana was immediately Princess of Wales because it was her husband's most senior title,” explains Koenig. Kate, on the other hand, went by duchess after her husband became a duke on their wedding day.
The unusual change occurred as rumours were growing of a rift between Harry, brother William and their partners, The Sun reports. They claim the move is a snub to the Prince and Princess of Wales as all three of their children have Kate's names on their birth certificates.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
Meghan Markle's jewelry collection includes several heirloom pieces from the late Princess of Wales. The Duchess of Sussex wore Diana's iconic "divorce ring" to her 2018 wedding reception, for example. She has since stepped out in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that once belonged to her late mother-in-law.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in the same bed, often with their dog Orla, a revelation Prince William shared, highlighting a more modern, relatable approach to royal life compared to past generations who sometimes used separate beds for status or privacy. While they have separate bedrooms for some downtime and might use separate beds when traveling on the royal train due to its layout, their usual arrangement at home is together, with their dog as a regular bedfellow.
Kate likely didn't curtsy publicly because she had already greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla that day.
Royal Highnesses bow and curtsey only to majesties, so Meghan would only have to do so to Kate once the princess becomes Queen.