The British monarchy has undergone major changes in recent years, with the passing of the beloved Queen Elizabeth and the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who left the UK for a new life in the United States.
But amid all the turmoil, one hardworking member of the royal family has seen her star continue to rise: the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Behind the scenes of King Charles and the Princess of Wales’ health crisis and the ongoing rift between Prince Harry and Prince William, Sophie, 59, has risen to the highest levels of The Firm, with a family member often referred to as the late Queen’s “favourite” royal.
From attending glittering banquets to standing next to Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour, her promoted status is made clear at official royal events and engagements.
But she got her chance to join the inner circle when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were leaving the royal family in exchange for a more starry life in Montecito, California.
Meghan Markle is pictured next to Sophie, then Countess of Wessex, on Remembrance Day in 2019
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s status was recently highlighted when she was ‘promoted’ to the head table at the Japanese royals’ state banquet last week. Above: Sophie was seated next to Emperor Naruhito of Japan
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are now among the few working royals under the age of 70 (alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales). With a noticeable rift in the monarchy following the young and glamorous Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s abdication, Sophie has become a key and pivotal member of The Firm.
This became clear when Sophie was ‘promoted’ to the table of honour at the lavish state banquet for the Japanese royal family last week, where she was placed right next to Emperor Naruhito at Buckingham Palace.
Emperor Naruhito and King Charles have had a friendship of many years and her presence at the banquet suggests that Sophie is loved by the monarch and that he trusts her greatly.
Although Sophie and Meghan don’t see eye to eye as often these days, their beliefs are not too far apart. They have long championed similar causes, like ending gender-based violence and improving girls’ education.
During her time as a working royal, the Duchess of Sussex visited ActionAid in Johannesburg to raise awareness of sexual violence in schools, spoke to women about gender inequality in Cape Town and reached out to Grenfell fire survivors, helping them to publish a cookbook.
She also recently spoke out about being bullied online while pregnant on International Women’s Day in March and gave a talk at a Women in Leadership event in Nigeria during her almost royal tour of the country.
Sophie flew to Sierra Leone in 2020, where she visited a women’s centre and addressed sexual and gender-based violence, supported survivors and advocated for the role of women in building peace.
Two months later, the Duchess traveled to the Republic of South Sudan and visited several initiatives to protect the safety of girls and women.
In 2023, she also made a surprise visit to Iraq as part of her work with survivors of sexual violence in conflict.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams described Sophie as “cheerful, dedicated and attentive” and said she has always been “an achiever”.
‘[The Duchess of Edinburgh] “It’s down to earth and that’s essential, but it doesn’t attract negative publicity,” he said.
‘It is Sophie who has accomplished the feat. In recent years, she has visited Kosovo, South Sudan, Iraq and Ukraine, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries to meet with victims of gender-based sexual violence.
‘Sophie is active in this area, as demonstrated by her visit to Sierra Leone in 2020. It is an excellent example of what working members of the Royal Family can achieve.
Sophie is pictured next to Meghan in a carriage at Royal Ascot in 2018
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams stressed that Sophie is a confidante of King Charles and the late Queen
Over time, Sophie came to be seen by the Queen as the safest pair of hands in The Firm (the couple are pictured together in 2018)
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams compared Sophie to Princess Anne (both pictured in 2022) because she ‘just gets on with it’
However, he stated that the Duchess of Sussex is a very different character to the Duchess of Edinburgh, claiming that while Meghan is ‘obsessed’ with herself, Sophie would rather ‘just get on with it’.
He told FEMAIL: ‘Sophie was a well-known confidante of the late Queen and King Charles knows he can trust her implicitly.
‘Her temperament is very different from Meghan’s. The latter, while not without talent, is self-absorbed and reportedly temperamental.
‘Sophie is affiliated with almost 70 organizations. Meghan only had a few patronages, Harry had a few more [and] They chose to give these up to build a new life elsewhere.
‘Sophie and Edward do not seek publicity or praise. Like Princess Anne, they carry on, they are trusted, they do a lot of good, and not just for themselves, as the Sussexes often seem to do.’
Meghan and Sophie’s relationship has appeared to be strained since 2018, when the Duchess of Sussex officially joined the royal family following her marriage to Prince Harry.
To help her settle in, the late Queen is said to have suggested Sophie as a “kind of mentor” for Meghan.
But the Duchess of Sussex “felt like she had Harry” and didn’t need any further help from an adviser.
Royal expert Gyles Brandreth told Palace Confidential in 2022: ‘The Queen wanted Meghan to make a success of the marriage and of her new role, and indeed did everything she could to help that happen.
‘I think she suggested that Sophie Wessex, who was certainly one of her favourites and had been through it herself because she was married to a royal and to Prince Edward, might be able to help her and be a kind of mentor.
‘I don’t think Meghan was interested in that. She felt she had Harry, she didn’t need to be offered a mentor… The Queen was very enthusiastic at the beginning,’ he concluded.
It has been claimed that Sophie (pictured at the garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse) was suggested as a ‘mentor’ to Meghan Markle to help her settle into the royal family.
Sophie was previously responsible for Meghan, as she was of a higher rank than her (pictured at the Commonwealth Day Service in 2020)
Sophie and Edward are pictured with King Charles and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour last month
Sophie, who was previously the Countess of Wessex, was previously duty-bound to submit to Prince Harry’s wife, who, as a duchess, held a higher rank.
But since last year, her husband, Prince Edward, has been given the title Duke of Edinburgh, making Sophie a Duchess as well.
A friend of the couple told the Mail on Sunday last year: ‘Sophie is relieved. She no longer has to bow to someone in the family who has not only stepped down from her royal duties but who has spent the last three years criticising the institution that Sophie supports so strongly.’
The Duchess of Edinburgh was welcomed into the royal family in 1999 after marrying Prince Edward. The couple have since welcomed two children: Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.