Duchess Sophie's 'frustration' after marrying Prince Edward and joining the royal family
Sophie and Edward married in June 1999Duchess Sophie once admitted she felt “frustration” after marrying Prince Edward and joining the royal family.
Sophie, 60, and Prince Edward, 61, will mark their 26th wedding anniversary on June 19.
The now Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are considered valued members of the monarchy. Before Sophie married into the royal family, she had a normal job.
Transitioning from working in PR to becoming a member of the monarchy, Sophie admitted she initially struggled.
How old was Sophie when she met Prince Edward?
Sophie and Prince Edward first met in 1987, when they were 22 and 23 respectively. At that time, Sophie was working for Capital Radio.
They then met again in 1993 when Sophie worked on publicity for Edward’s Real Tennis Challenge event. Shortly after this, they started dating.
They got engaged in December 1998, after Edward popped the question during a Bahamas getaway. Their engagement was officially announced in January 1999.
The couple tied the knot at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on June 19 that year.
Sophie’s PR career
Sophie continued her PR career after her wedding to Edward. She opened her own public relations agency, RJH Public Relations, which she co-ran for five years.
In 2001, the duchess was caught in a media sting. This was where an undercover reporter from News of the World posed as an Arab sheikh.
The frustration was I had to reduce my expectations of what I could actually do.
During a secretly recorded conversation, it was alleged that Sophie made several unflattering comments about the royal family and politicians.
However, palace officials stated that Sophie had not insulted the queen, the Queen Mother or the politicians.
In 2002, both Sophie and Edward stepped away from their business roles to support Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee year.
Since then, they have focused solely on royal duties and their charity work.
Sophie’s ‘frustration’ after joining royal family
Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2020 about her role within the monarchy, Sophie admitted: “Certainly it took me a while to find my feet.
“The frustration was I had to reduce my expectations of what I could actually do. I couldn’t turn up at a charity and go, right, I think you should be doing this, because that’s what I was used to doing in my working life.”
Read more: Duchess Sophie and Princess Kate met with huge applause as they step out for Garter Day
Sophie added: “I had to take a really big step back and go, okay, they want you to be the icing on the cake, the person to come in to thank their volunteers and funders, not necessarily to tell them how to run their communications plan.”
Now, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are focused on supporting King Charles and the royal family. They have two children – Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17.
They’re often seen at royal events, and Sophie has often been described as the monarchy’s “secret weapon”.
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