10 SUNDAY EXPRESS January 10, 2010 FEATURES After an unconvincing start groomed to take over his father’s mantle as the next Duke of Edinburgh. as a Royal, Sophie, Countess Unlike the rest of the Queen’s offspring, Edward and Sophie have also made a of Wessex, is now viewed as success of their personal life. Their 10-year a safe pair of hands. She has marriage has endured while Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew become one of Her Majesty’s have all been divorced. Perhaps it is closest confi dantes and even little wonder that Sophie is the Queen’s favourite daughter-in-law since she and joins her mother-in-law on Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, are the the regal sofa to watch TV. only ones left. What makes Sophie’s bond with the CAMILLA TOMINEY reports on Queen all the more extraordinary is the the remarkable turnaround fact that not long ago the Countess was considered a pariah after her run-in with an undercover reporter posing as a sheik, NLOOKERS may have been when she branded Cherie Blair “horrid” surprised to see the Queen and William Hague “deformed”. arrive at church on Christmas Worse still, Sophie stood accused of Day, not with one of her own trading on her royal connections. children but her daughter-in- The headlines following the sensational law Sophie, the Countess of revelations in 2001 could not have been OWessex. Dressed in coordinated Christmas more damaging with Sophie quoted in large outfi ts, they could easily have been type on the front of one downmarket rag mistaken for mother and daughter insisting: “My Edward’s Not Gay”. as they arrived at St Mary Magdalene It was a huge mistake but one that the church. Countess has learned from. She stepped While the rest of the Royal Family, down from her PR company within months including Prince Philip, 88, made their way amid accusations she and Edward were on foot from Sandringham, only Sophie was using their position for commercial gain granted the special privilege of travelling and now neither has any outside business with the Queen in her chauffeur-driven car. interests. Sophie’s appearance alongside the Despite being parents to two young monarch on Christmas morning has children, Louise, six, and James, two, become almost as traditional as the the couple do not shirk their royal Royal Family’s annual festive ritual at the responsibilities. Last year, Edward Norfolk estate. Since she married Prince performed 341 offi cial engagements, Edward in 1999 Sophie has become very Sophie 168. Sophie has also earned praise close to her mother-in-law, especially since for her campaigning on neonatal issues her own mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, died after the traumatic birth of her daughter from cancer in 2005, aged 71. Louise who was delivered four weeks The Queen, 83, has also come to rely on prematurely on November 8, 2003, by Sophie more and more following the death emergency caesarean section that nearly of her two closest female confi dantes, her killed the Countess. This was after her sister Margaret and the Queen Mother, ectopic pregnancy in 2001. who died within two months of each other During the delivery of Louise, Sophie in 2002. Picture: ANWAR HUSSEIN/All Action/PA suffered a placental abruption, where the With Sophie living at Bagshot Park in placenta detaches from the womb, losing Surrey, just a few miles from Windsor nine pints of blood. She underwent a ‘The Countess has ‘Edward is thought of simply got on with it’ as hardworking’ Castle, the Queen’s favourite residence three-hour operation during which doctors where she spends most weekends, the pair said she was 20 minutes from death. see a great deal of each other. A senior Mother and daughter then had to spend royal aide said: “It’s no secret that the their fi rst crucial days of bonding apart as Queen and the Countess get on incredibly Louise, weighing 4lb 9oz, was transferred to well. They spend a lot of time together. the neonatal unit at St George’s Hospital in “The Countess regularly accompanies Tooting while Sophie remained at Frimley the Queen to church and the Sandringham Park Hospital in Surrey. Christmas Day service is no exception.” So fond are the Queen and Philip of The pair are understood to regularly Sophie that they took the unprecedented watch television together and have a step of visiting her in hospital (which was shared passion for military history, often never reported at the time) and they have exchanging books on the subject. felt particularly protective of Louise as she The Queen has always liked Sophie, 44, was born with a squint. the down-to-earth daughter of a tyre According to Phil Dampier: “The Duke salesman, for her lack of airs and graces of Edinburgh is very good with children and easy-going nature. As royal author How Sophie and he and the Queen particularly like Phil Dampier put it: “Sophie was a breath spending time with Louise and James of fresh air for the Queen after the because they missed out on the early over-emotional Diana, who tended to years of their older grandchildren. When overshadow everyone else, and needy William and Harry were that age, the Fergie, who was always a controversial Queen and Philip spent half the year on fi gure. Sophie simply got on with it.” tour overseas.” It has always been said that Edward, Edward and Sophie are very hands-on at 45 her youngest child, is the Queen’s parents although they do have a full-time favourite. He was unfairly dogged became nanny. Like Princess Anne they decided by rumours over his sexuality in his to reduce the responsibility on their formative years and the Queen has children by not burdening them with the always credited Sophie with helping to royal title, HRH. Louise is simply known rehabilitate his image. as Lady Louise Windsor and James is In the Eighties and Nineties, Edward Viscount Severn. became a laughing stock for his forays into Choosing not to give their children the television with his production company Prince and Princess titles that would open Ardent. His royal version of the game show the Queen’s more doors showed just how far Edward It’s A Knockout exposed Buckingham and Sophie, once criticised for cashing-in Palace to ridicule in 1987 and he later on their royal status, had come. The Queen courted controversy by fl outing a press gave her approval and when it comes to ban to fi lm Prince William, his nephew, such matters, Sophie has clearly learned when he was at St Andrew’s University from the master. in 2002. She might not be a blue blood but when These days Edward is considered one it comes to quietly doing her duty, Sophie is of the hardest working Royals and is being favourite a chip off the old block..