2019-07-01_HelloMagazine_UK

T

wentyyearsagothisweek,SophieRhys-

JoneswalkeddowntheaisleatStGeorge’s

ChapeltomarryPrinceEdward,radiating

happinessasshelaterrodewithherhusband

throughWindsorinanopen-topcarriage,

readytobeginhernewlifeasa memberofthe

royalfamily.

Sincethen,theCountessofWessexhas

establishedherselfasoneofthemostpopular

andadmiredmembersof“TheFirm”.Her

understatedelegance,quietsenseofdutyand

devotiontoherchildrenhasnotonlyendeared

hertothepublic,buthasmarkedheroutasa

firmfavouriteoftheQueen.

Meanwhile,hermarriagetotheEarl– the

onlyoneoftheQueen’schildrennottohave

divorced– remainsrocksolidafter 26 yearsasa

couple, with observers describingtheir

relationshipascloseandloving.

BuckinghamPalacetellshello!that

thecoupleplantocelebratetheirwedding

anniversaryprivatelyonWednesday 19 June.

“Sophieis absolutelycharmingandalways

hasbeen,”saysIngridSeward,theeditorof

Majestymagazine,whohasmettheCountess

manytimes.“She’sverynaturalandlowkeyand

getsonwithherjobwithoutmakinga fuss.

“Keytoherpopularityis thatshe’snevergot

grandaboutherpositionandsheisn’tflashyor

extravagant.Shealsoappearstobea loving

mumanda greatwife.

“ShehasnevertriedtoupstageEdwardand

sheknowsexactlywhentotakea backseat,”

she adds. “Theyhavea kind of mature

lationshipandhehashisjobandshehas

hers,sotheyprobablyspendmoretime

apartthantheywouldlike.Buttheyseemto

havea veryhappymarriage.”

ShutterstockroyalphotographerTim

Rooke,whohasbeencoveringSophie’s

overseastoursfor 20 years,agrees.

“TheCountessworksincrediblyhardbut

doesn’talwaysgetthepressshedeserves,”he

ellshello!. “She’sveryprofessionaland

ttentiveandmakespeoplefeelateaseand

healwaysseemsgenuinelyinterestedin

hatshe’sdoing.

“SheandtheEarlappeartobeverygood

ogether.I travelledtoBruneiwiththemin

017 fortheSultan’sgoldenjubileeandsat

ppositetheminthepalace.Fromtheway

eyinteracted– chatting,lookingat each

ther,laughing– theyseemedveryclose

s

PrinceEdward

andSophiewith

theirchildren

LadyLouiseand

James,Viscount

Severnatthis

year’sTrooping

theColour

The Queen adjusts her

daughter-in-law’s hat ahead of

the Christmas Day service at

Sandringham in 2002 and the

two women go riding together

at Windsor Castle (right)

AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 20

th

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

HOW A QUIET DEVOTION TO DUTY WON THE NATION’S HEART

THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF WESSEX

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