Once derided as ‘black sheep,’ Sophie became Queen Elizabeth’s rock

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and the Queen in 2019.
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Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the spouse of Prince Edward, and as soon as referred to as a “black sheep” of the household, grew to become so near Queen Elizabeth II that she was among the many small group of relations summoned to the monarch’s bedside when she died on Thursday, in keeping with the Occasions of London.

Sophie Rhys Jones, 57, grew to become the primary center class working lady to affix the royal household when she married Edward in 1999. Her mom was a secretary and her father was an govt in a tire firm. Sophie had been working for Capital Radio when she met Prince Edward in 1987. She went on to affix a PR agency the place she ran campaigns for kids’s books.

Her working life was delivered to an embarrassing finish in 2001 when she was duped by a Information of the World reporter posing as a possible shopper for her PR agency. She was caught on tape providing feedback about then prime minister Tony Blair and his spouse Cherie, whom she described as “horrid, completely horrid.”

Sophie initially struggled with public life, however ultimately discovered her stride.

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Prince Edward and Sophie on their wedding ceremony day in 1999.

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Though she struggled with royal duties at first, Sophie was helped by the Queen and realized to “handle expectations,” she instructed the newspaper.

After the dying of he Queen’s husband final 12 months, the monarch appointed Sophie colonel-in-chief of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, certainly one of Prince Philip’s navy roles.

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When pandemic restrictions had been partially lifted, Sophie and the Queen bonded on day by day walks by way of Windsor Nice Park, and over their shared love of navy historical past, spending hours collectively poring over historical paperwork within the Royal Archives, in keeping with the Occasions.

Sophie and her husband, Prince Edward, arriving at Balmoral on Thursday night.

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Sophie’s two kids had been additionally near the Queen. Her eldest, Girl Louise Windsor, now 18, realized to drive carriages on the property with Prince Philip and paid tribute to him earlier this 12 months on the Royal Windsor Horse Present’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations by driving his carriage in entrance of the Queen.