‘You wouldn’t pick her out of a crowd’: The Queen’s words about Sophie after they first met… but the Duchess of Edinburgh has proven to be the worthiest of wives for Prince Edward, writes NATASHA LIVINGSTONE

When Miss Rhys-Jones walked down the aisle of St George’s Chapel on a warm day in the summer of 1999, she had already exceeded many expectations.

It is said that the Queen’s first words when she met Sophie, the daughter of a Kent tire salesman, years ago were: “You wouldn’t pick her out of a crowd.”

In fact, the now Duchess of Edinburgh has always been ahead of the curve and has proven to be the worthiest partner for the Queen’s youngest son.

Today, Prince Edward and Sophie celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in their typically subtle way, without any formal fuss.

The palace has released a new photo of the couple, taken earlier this month, and it is thought they will attend Royal Ascot this afternoon.

But their low-key style may be the secret to their success – both as a couple and as working royals.

Of the late queen’s four children, Edward is the only one who did not experience a painful divorce.

His courtship with Sophie started with an invitation to a game of tennis.

On July 16, 1993, Prince Edward was due to have his picture taken with tennis star Sue Barker to promote a charity match, but she pulled out at the last minute.

The event’s publicist had to quickly find a replacement and selected one of his most photogenic colleagues, Sophie Rhys-Jones.

With her golden, short-cropped hair and bright blue eyes, she was a great success with the prince.

One evening, a few months later, he invited her to a game of tennis, followed by dinner.

For six weeks they dated like a normal couple, going out for curries and to the theater.

And although the late queen was not initially hugely impressed with Miss Rhys-Jones, according to Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers, her opinion soon changed.

Friends said the Queen was pleased with the effect Sophie had on Edward, making him more relaxed and less fragile.

She soon came to like Sophie and respected her “lack of pretension.”

When the couple finally married in 1999, the service reflected this no-nonsense attitude.

They were the first royals in living memory to choose St George’s Chapel in Windsor for their wedding.

This was the start of a modern trend, followed by then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles for their wedding ceremony in 2005.

Peter Phillips and his ex-wife Autumn Kelly, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and, most recently, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank all also got married in the church.

To Edward and Sophie’s wedding, men were invited in morning dress, while women were encouraged to wear evening dress – but no hats (the Queen bent this rule with a lilac fascinator).

To complement the low-key royal occasion, the couple enjoyed a short carriage ride through the city as bride and groom, but opted out of a big public show.

As the new Earl and Countess of Wessex, their entry as working royals was not without problems.

In 2001, Sophie was caught in a sting operation by the now defunct News of the World making embarrassing comments about the royal family.

The couple had tried to combine a working career with royal positions, but the episode proved the combination was impossible – and so the Queen asked her Lord Chamberlain, Lord Luce, to resolve the situation.

Several months later, the couple announced that they were focusing solely on full-time royal duties.

Since then, Sophie and Edward have become an essential cog in the modern royal machine.

Prince Edward carries his father’s title with grace and continues his legacy with the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Sophie typically receives less media attention, but has taken on increasing royal responsibilities, especially abroad.

Last year she visited Canada, Ethiopia and Columbia – and recently became the first member of the royal family to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

In the wake of the Sussexes’ departure and the health problems of the King and Princess of Wales, Edward and Sophie’s diligent reliability is a pillar of stability for the royal family.

Their two children – Lady Louise, 20, and Viscount Severn, 16 – appear to have inherited these values, and notably did not adopt the HRH style title to which they were automatically entitled.

Lady Louise, who made a surprise appearance at Trooping the Color this weekend, also won praise for her equally hard-working, humble attitude.

In 2022 she was working in a garden center while awaiting her A-level results.

As they celebrate their silver wedding anniversary today, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have a lot to celebrate. I hope they raise a glass to the next 25 years.