Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, is known for her down-to-earth nature and was reportedly viewed by the Queen as The Firm’s safest pair of hands.
Patron of more than 70 charities and organisations, including Childline and the London College of Fashion, she undertakes over 200 engagements each year, including visits to schools, hospitals and military bases.
For this reason, it was an incredibly poignant moment when the former Countess of Wessex became a Duchess in 2023 to mark Prince Edward‘s 59th birthday.
This was in keeping with his parents’ wishes and in recognition of Edward’s commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award youth scheme.
But according to friends of Sophie, she was also ‘relieved’ that her move up the royal ranks means she no longer needs to curtsey to Meghan Markle. The relationship between the two women has been tenuous since the beginning.
A friend of the couple said: ‘Sophie is relieved. She no longer has to curtsey to someone in the family who has not only left Royal duties but has spent the past three years criticising the institution that Sophie works so hard to support.’
When Meghan entered the Royal Family fresh from her role in Suits, the late Queen enlisted Sophie to teach her the ropes.
According to friends of Duchess Sophie, she was also ‘relieved’ that her move up the royal ranks means she no longer needs to curtsey to Meghan Markle
When Meghan entered the Royal Family fresh from her role in Suits, the late Queen enlisted Sophie to teach her the ropes
Sophie and the late Queen Elizabeth II attend the Women’s Institute AGM, Royal Albert Hall, London on June 4, 2015
But according to royal author Gyles Brandreth, Meghan ‘wasn’t interested’ in receiving advice from her new mentor.
This led Sophie to make a cutting remark when asked about ‘stepping in’ for Meghan and Harry after they stepped down as senior royals.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Sophie said: ‘What did people think we were doing beforehand?’
This wasn’t the only time Sophie addressed Harry and Meghan’s exit from the family.
Following the Sussexes’ explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Sophie and Edward made a cheeky remark.
When asked about the much-discussed interview by The Telegraph, the Prince simply said, ‘Oprah, who?’ while Sophie added with a laugh, ‘What interview?’
Speaking about Harry and Meghan’s exit from the Firm, Sophie added: ‘I just hope they will be happy.’
More pointedly, she then stated that the royals do all they can to try to assist new members to adjust, adding: ‘We all try to help any new members of the family’.
Sophie curtseys to Queen Elizabeth II as she attends Ladies Day of Royal Ascot on June 22, 2017
Speaking about Harry and Meghan’s exit from the Firm, Sophie added: ‘I just hope they will be happy’. Sophie and Meghan are pictured at Ascot in 2018
Sophie and Meghan travelled together in a car down The Mall ahead of the Queen’s State Funeral in September 2022
Sophie and Meghan travelled together in a car down The Mall ahead of the Queen’s State Funeral in September 2022.
After travelling together, Sophie was described as a ‘savvy peacemaker’ who may be tasked with ‘soothing tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the Firm.’
According to royal expert Camilla Tominey, writing in the Telegraph, the job of making sure the ‘Sussexes are made to feel part of the sombre proceedings’ appeared to have fallen to Sophie.
The royal expert cited reports of previous times the former Countess is believed to have ‘stepped in to soothe tensions,’ including after the funeral of Philip, when she is said to have sought out Harry and spoken with him for some 30 minutes.
And a former aide of Sophie told the Telegraph that she ‘is made for the role of mediator.’
They said: ‘That’s why she’s the Queen’s favourite daughter-in-law – she’s down to earth and just gets on with it.’
Speaking during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, Sophie said in an interview with The Mirror: ‘First of all it was quite large shoes to fill because not as many of the population alive today will remember but the Queen was Duchess of Edinburgh for the first few years when she and my father-in-law first married.
‘For me, it was quite an emotional thing to sort of step into her shoes [as being Duchess of Edinburgh], it felt like quite a big moment.’
And a former aide of Sophie told the Telegraph that she ‘is made for the role of mediator’
According to royal expert Camilla Tominey, writing in the Telegraph, the job of making sure the ‘Sussexes are made to feel part of the sombre proceedings’ appeared to have fallen to Sophie’
The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Sarajevo’s Old Town during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina
She explained, however, that in practical terms her and her husband’s role is to support the King as it was to support the Queen.
In her interview, Sophie also opened up on what it is like being seen as the Royal Family’s ‘secret weapon’.
She explained that she doesn’t see herself as being in a ‘front and centre’ role, which allows her more time to pursue her own interests.
Sophie said: ‘I like to fly under the radar. It’s all very well being a secret weapon but if no one knows, maybe it’s too secret.’
‘I suppose I should take it as a backhanded compliment,’ she added.
Royal expert Russell Myers previously claimed that Sophie ‘undoubtedly benefited’ from Harry and Meghan stepping back from royal life because it has ‘raised her profile’.
Speaking on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, he explained: ‘Are the Instagram generation going to be as obsessed with Sophie and Edward Wessex as they are with the Sussexes? Obviously not.
‘However, when you’re dealing with them… Sophie’s really across her subject matter. It’s not just for show and she has really grown into that. With the Sussexes not here, the Wessexes will undoubtedly benefit.’
The Duchess of Edinburgh meets mothers of victims of the Srebrenica Genocide
William and Kate, Harry and Meghan and Sophie and Edward are pictured at the 2020 Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, the Sussexes’ final official engagement before they quit royal life
Kate speaks to Sophie at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in 2020 while Harry looks on
Meanwhile he also pointed to how similar Meghan and Sophie’s interests are, saying: ‘The similarities between Sophie and Meghan are there to be seen.
‘Sophie’s working with girls’ education, she’s done a lot of stuff about violence against females in Africa.’
Most recently royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that Sophie’s hard-hitting advocacy work could have allowed Meghan to flourish in the Royal Family.
In recent years the King’s sister-in-law, who is married to his brother, Prince Edward, has travelled to current and former war zones including Chad, the Congo, Kosovo, South Chad, Lebanon and Sierra Leone.
She has devoted much of her latter working life as a royal to supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and is passionate about championing gender equality.
Fitzwilliams said: ‘Meghan is struggling to be an influencer, Sophie has influence in ways that really matter, which Meghan could have been.
‘Meghan has always boasted about how she promotes feminism.
‘Yet contrast the occasional speech she makes in comfortable surroundings with the remarkable work of Sophie who actually visits areas of the world such as Sudan and Chad which have been devastated by war and attempts to comfort the women who are victims of rape and exploitation.’
Sophie was described as a ‘savvy peacemaker’ who may be tasked with ‘soothing tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the Firm’. Harry and Meghan with Sophie and Edward are pictured at Ascot in 2018
He added that Meghan’s departure from frontline royal duties is a case of ‘wasted potential’, while Sophie has ‘proved she’s the Royal Family’s champion of women’s rights’.
In the most recent YouGov opinion poll, 51 per cent of Brits said they felt positively about Sophie, compared to just 20 per cent for Meghan.
Just 12 per cent of people had a negative view of Sophie compared to 65 for Meghan.
Sophie is currently ranked as the sixth most popular royal, compared to Meghan who falters in 19th place.
In 2019 Meghan was the sixth most popular royal and Sophie was in 11th place.
Meghan’s popularity has been on a steady incline since she and Harry stepped down as senior working royals.
Meanwhile Sophie’s popularity has only increased over time as she uses her position to platform causes for change.
