The Duchess of Edinburgh (Image: PA)
The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie Wessex, has confessed that she initially struggled to find a meaningful role within the Royal Family, fearing she might be “treading on toes”.
Sophie Rhys-Jones, a former PR executive, married Edward, the youngest son of Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in June 1999. The couple, now known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, celebrated their silver wedding anniversary last year.
In 2023, Charles bestowed upon Edward his late father’s title, Duke of Edinburgh, following and ‘s departure from Royal life, making Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh, a title previously held by Elizabeth II.
Despite being one of the hardest-working Royals, Sophie, 60, revealed that finding a productive role within the Firm wasn’t always straightforward. According to The Daily Mail, Sophie was initially hesitant to “step on toes” while trying to carve out her own role.
She explained: “I was trying to find, not a unique thing for myself, but a direction of travel I suppose. And, of course, inevitably every time I went down a route, I found a member of the family working very hard doing something and I retreated a bit and thought, “No, not there”. Treading on toes?
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has skilfully carved out her place within the Royal Family, taking on the patronage of more than 70 charities and organisations such as Childline and Shooting Star. The Duchess didn’t shy away from discussing the early challenges she faced after joining the Royal ranks, reports .
Upon trading her PR career for Royal duties following her marriage, Sophie acknowledged feelings of ‘frustration’ at the change in dynamic. As a former public relations expert, Sophie Rhys-Jones was accustomed to openly contributing to her clients’ corporate strategies.
Post-nuptials in 1999, however, found the Duchess adjusting her participatory stance. She divulged: “Certainly it took me a while to find my feet,” also underlining the issue: “The frustration was that I had to reduce my expectations of what I could actually do.”
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She realised over time that her previous eagerness to offer business insights during charity events had to be curtailed, understanding that her official role demanded formality rather than advisory input.
Reflecting on her position, Sophie conceded that her presence should be akin to the “icing on the cake the person to come in and thank their volunteers and funders not necessarily to tell them how to run their communications plan.”
Nonetheless, Sophie’s adaptation has been seamless and noteworthy, with many considering her an indispensable member of the Royal Household, often referred to as the Royal Family’s “Secret Weapon” due to her valuable engagements.