01 February 2024 , 12:42
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Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh, didn't mince her words when asked about filling the shoes of her royal relatives.
In the years following her marriage to Prince Edward - the couple will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in June - Sophie has evolved into a respected and trusted member of the royal family, very much a key figure in the late Queen's inner circle. Her devotion to the monarch, and the establishment as a whole, is unquestionable.
The Queen is said to have 'trusted' and 'relied' on Sophie to a great extent, with some experts claiming she saw Sophie as 'more like a daughter' than a daughter-in-law.
It's thought they shared similar interests, with the pair often spending Saturday or Sunday evenings together at Windsor, watching old war films and historical documentaries, MailOnline previously reported. Sophie also referred to the Queen as 'mama' in a speech in 2019.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has worked tirelessly to support the royal family - and causes close to her heart. Given her low-key, down-to-earth approach, she has, at times, received less column-inches than other members. But that belies her devotion.
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In her 2022 book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown, royal expert Katie Nicholl focuses on Sophie and her importance to the establishment.
"Sophie is blazing a more 'ordinary' and 'normal' trail for the royal family. If the price is less attention (although the organisations she is involved with value her hugely) it is a price worth paying," Nicholl writes.
"Just occasionally, Sophie appears to be a little wistful. When asked if she and Edward would be stepping up as Harry, Meghan and Andrew stepped down from their official duties, she replied: "What did people think we were doing beforehand?'"
Sophie and Edward married on 19 June 1999 in St George's Chapel and went on to welcome two children together, Lady Louise, now 20, and her younger brother, James Earl of Wessex, 16.
Often dubbed the royal's "secret weapon", an aide previously said of Sophie: "Since she became a working member of the family she has worked tirelessly for each and every cause she is passionately involved in."
In total, she is patron of more than 70 charities and organisations, with interests including agriculture, fashion, supporting people with disabilities, and the prevention of avoidable blindness in developing countries. A source told the Mirror: "Sophie's growing popularity with the public is also evident and she will take on a larger public profile in a new-look monarchy of King Charles."