and affectionateand a happy,
genuinecouple.”
Sophie’smiddle-classrootswere
a firstfortheroyalfamily,whose
bridesbeforethentendedtohail
fromsimilarsocialcirclesastheirs.
Thedaughterofa tyrecompany
directoranda secretary,shewas
workinginpublicrelationswhen
shemetEdwardata charitytennis
eventin 1993 andranherown
companywhentheymarried.
Shegaveupherjobwithintwo
yearstobecomea full-timeworking
royalandnow splits hertime
betweensupportingtheQueen
and beingthepatronofmorethan
70 charities.
PrinceEdward’sownrolehas
alsogrownfollowinghisfather’s
retirementand,aschairmanofthe
trusteesoftheDukeofEdinburgh’s
InternationalAwardFoundation,
heis responsibleformanyaspects
oftheorganisationPrincePhilip
foundedin1956.
TheEarlisalsopatronofthe
BritishParalympicAssociation,vice
patronof theCommonwealth
GamesFederationandholdseight
militaryappointments.
Helpinghim isSophie,who
jugglesgivinghersupporttoher
husbandwithherownprojectsand
workingfortheirWessexYouth
Trust,whichoffersgrantsandhelp
tocharitiesforyoungpeople.FIRMFRIENDSHIP
Nodoubtshe’shelpedbythebond
shehaswiththeQueen,whois
particularlyfondofher54-year-old
daughter-in-law. In2010, the
monarchmadehera DameGrand
CrossoftheRoyalVictorianOrder- thesamehonourgrantedtothe
DuchessofCambridgethisyear.
Thetwowomenalsosharean
interestinmilitaryhistoryandenjoy
ridingtogetherinGreatWindsor
ParkorhavingteaatSophieand
Edward’sSurreyhome,Bagshot
Park.Inaddition,theyoftentravel
tochurchtogetherat Christmas.
“Sophieis theQueen’sfavourite
andshealsogetsonverywellwith
theDukeof Edinburgh,”says
Ingrid,theauthorofMyHusband
andI. “She’sveryeasytobearound
andsincebecominga working
royal,shehasn’tputa footwrong.”
Inturn,Sophiegreatlyadmires
theQueenandsaysshe’slearnta
lotfromher.
“I usedtorusharoundasquickly
asI could,”shesaidin2014.“But
whenyouobservetheQueen,she
doesthingsinsucha measuredway
andI hopeI’velearnttotrynotto
bounceintotheroombutdothings
ina slightlymoreelegantway.”
Aswellas herroyalduties,Sophie
isdevotedtoherchildrenLady
Louise,15,andJames,Viscount
Severn,11,whothecoupleare
bringingupawayfromthespotlight.
Sophie’s journey to
motherhoodwasn’tsmooth.
‘She works incredibly
hard but doesn’t
always get the press
she deserves’
s
Wearing a
colourful
Galvan
dress,
Sophie
smiles
brightly at
a charity
dinner for
Leeds
Children’s
Hospital in
June 201867