Duchess Sophie’s elegance and big efforts are what make her one of the most cherished royals!
The Duchess of Edinburgh, who tied the knot to Prince Edward, on June 19, 1999, dated the Duke of Edinburgh for 6 years before finally making things official.
However, just impressing the Duke was not enough to make herself become a British Royal Family member as winning over late Queen Elizabeth II was also a significant and tough task.
According to Ingrid Seward, a royal expert and biographer, after Queen Elizabeth met Sophie for the first time, she did not like her much as the former queen told her friend, “You wouldn’t notice her in a crowd."
But the Duchess did all the “big efforts” to impress her late mother-in-law, making the former queen like her more and more after every meeting with Sophie.
Revealing Sophie’s efforts, he stated, "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,” added the expert.
Duchess Sophie, born as Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, is set to mark her milestone 60th birthday on Monday, January 20, 2025.
