With news of Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips‘ separation from wife Autumn rattling the royals earlier this year, it’s all the more reason to appreciate Sophie and Edward’s 21st anniversary today.
The queen certainly does, according to a royal aide. Her Majesty is “mindful that Sophie’s marriage has survived where her other children’s relationships have failed,” the aide told The Sun last September, “and she knows that is in no small way down to Sophie’s dedication. She is aware, as is Edward’s mother, what a tricky creature he can be. And not only has Sophie flourished as a dedicated, albeit still relatively junior member of the royal family, she has brought up two teenagers who are well-balanced, sporty, amusing and delightful.”
She and Edward have been subject to the usual trouble-in-paradise rumors over the years, but they’ve always enjoyed support from the queen (and the occasional stated denial from the Palace when absolutely necessary) and, more importantly, from each other.
“Sophie has been through some trying times,” a friend told Ingrid Seward in 2013. “Edward has always been her shoulder to cry on and has seen her at her lowest ebb.” Body language expert Judi James acknowledged to the Express in 2019 that Edward’s marriage was originally the least-expected to last, but…
Here they are.
“A successful PR with her own firm, [Sophie] integrated into the royal family in a very unfussy way and was a perfect compliment for her husband’s trait of apparently taking himself a little too seriously,” James observed.
And it’s certainly nice to be chums with one’s mother-in-law.
