Late Queen’s brutal seven-word response to meeting Duchess Sophie for the first time

Over time, Sophie, now the , has been recognised as a dedicated and hardworking member of the , but the late Queen Elizabeth II once shared a brutal description of her with a friend. Queen Elizabeth was reportedly left underwhelmed after one of their first encounters at Windsor in 1993 during the early days of Prince Edward and Sophie’s courtship. that princes brought home, as she had a career in public relations, her father Christopher Rhys-Jones, was a tyre company executive, and her late mother, Mary, a secretary.According to royal expert and biographer, Ingrid Seward, the late Queen once told a friend in a brutal seven-word response after meeting Sophie: “You wouldn’t notice her in a crowd.”

Sophie, however, became a regular guest at family events and gatherings, indicating the late Queen’s approval. This acceptance was further solidified when Prince Edward and Sophie announced their engagement in January 1999, lSeward also stated how the late monarch grew to like Sophie the more she saw of her, over time. She explained: “The more she saw of her, the more she liked her, especially as she made a big effort with Prince Philip, learning to ride, taking up carriage driving.”The Queen [Elizabeth II] always liked people who could deal with her husband. Sophie might be low-key but she’s a lot smarter than people give her credit for.”Sophie has long been considered one of the monarchy’s “safest pair of hands” for her loyalty and unflashy approach to royal life.As patron of more than 70 charities and organisations, she has focuses on championing young people, and supporting those with disabilities, and she is becoming increasingly known for her work .

, Duchess Sophie worked at different companies, including four years at Capital Radio, The Quentin Bell Organisation and MacLaurin Communications & Media.In 1996, she launched her own public relations agency, RJH Public Relations, which she ran with her business partner, Murray Harkin, for five years.The late Queen also respected Sophie and Edward’s , Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17. They can decide to use them from the age of 18, but Sophie previously said she thought this was “highly unlikely”, and Louise has chosen not to use the title so far.Sophie has also proved she is the — after Princess Anne, King Charles and her husband, Prince Edward, and she clocked up 257 official engagements at home and abroad last year, in 2024.