When Sophie and Edward married on June 19, 1999, they had already broken several major royal barriers.
Having dated Edward for six years, the then Sophie Rhys-Jones was the first royal bride to be allowed to spend the night at Buckingham Palace as a single woman, which was still a shocking proposition at the time.
What’s more, as the daughter of a Kent tire salesman, she was, to use criminally old-fashioned language, a “commoner” (let us not forget that, when she was born, Edward was, by comparison, third in line to the throne). . ).
And the couple’s insistence on not giving up their day jobs (she in public relations and he in television production) was equally unheard of in royal circles.
But perhaps most notable was the fact that they were optimistically embarking on married life at a time when Edward’s three siblings (Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne) had just seen their first marriages end. sadly in divorce.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the weekend’s Trooping the Color
And yet, against all odds, Sophie and Edward, who were created Earl and Countess of Wessex when they married, but have since been “promoted” to Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh by the King, will celebrate their silver wedding anniversary tomorrow.
In royal circles they are known as a universally happy couple who have hardly (certainly not since the notorious ‘Fake Sheikh’ scandal of the late 1990s in which Sophie was tricked by an undercover reporter into making indiscreet comments about the then Prince Charles, Tony Blair). and William Hague, and subsequently decided to abandon his public relations business) took a false step.
They have two children, James, now Earl of Wessex, who is currently doing his GCSEs, and Lady Louise, an English literature student at the University of St Andrews who, family friends tell me, is developing into a confident young woman. herself.
I can reveal they plan to celebrate 25 years of marriage in typically low-key style, with a group of close friends at Royal Ascot (and not even in the royal carriage procession).
This careful balance between their positions as full-time working royals with a strong sense of duty, along with their lives as partners and parents, is the secret to their success, friends say.
Prince Edward hugs Sophie after she gave a speech on International Women’s Day.
“They’re a real team,” a lifelong friend of the couple tells me. ‘There is a balance in the relationship, neither of them is jealous of the other. In fact, they are very proud of each other’s achievements.
“When Sophie undertook a 450-mile bike challenge a few years ago from Edinburgh to London, there was no one prouder than the prince, I can tell you.”
According to Sophie, 59, who paid a notable public tribute to her husband on his 60th birthday in March, it is also due to the fact that he is “the best of fathers and the most loving of husbands”.
She sweetly described Edward as her “best friend” and admitted without hesitation that she still likes him in uniform.
For Edward’s part, in an exclusive interview with me to mark his milestone birthday, he came to life when talking about his wife.
‘Well, you need a really good support network in this and family is incredibly important. I am very, very lucky that Sophie is a brilliant person, very brilliant in her own right,” she told me, smiling from ear to ear.
Friends say the prince has never taken for granted what Sophie assumed when she married him, after they met at a “royal tennis” tournament for which she did the PR and he played.
The couple attend a D-Day commemoration service for veterans in Alrewas, Staffordshire.
Prince Edward waves to the crowd on his wedding day to Sophie on June 19, 1999.
His close friend, Mark Foster-Brown, who has known Edward since their days at Cambridge University (and was also invited to the tournament when they met), agrees, adding: “I feel there is a particular pride in him in this moment”. what he does and how he does it. “That creates a very strong bond, it would be in any marriage, and it certainly is in theirs.”
Sophie has become an acclaimed advocate for men and women who are victims of sexual violence in war and recently became the first British royal to travel to Ukraine to highlight this untold story of the current conflict.
Meanwhile, Edward has taken on his late father’s role, not just in name but in many of the public duties he once undertook, particularly with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards programme.
While the couple insists they’re not doing anything particularly different these days (it’s just that people have started to notice more in a slimmed-down monarchy), there’s no doubt their star is on the rise.
Outside of work, they are both very rural, they love their dogs, they walk and ride horses.
Both are also keen skiers. Edward, in particular, is “irritatingly good” and absolutely “fearless”, says a friend. Sophie did a season on the slopes after finishing school and is not far behind.
The couple are also known to enjoy family holidays in places such as the Isles of Scilly.
A family friend who spent the holidays with them remembers that a member of the public once approached Edward to tell him that he was the “representation” of the Queen’s youngest son, clearly not thinking for a second that the man who standing in line to get supplies at the Cooperative it could have been him.
Above all, Sophie and Edward laugh a lot.
“There’s always something to laugh about,” says a friend.
Prince William, Princess Charlotte, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward and Sophie watch the RAF fly-by in 2023
It is no surprise to many in royal circles that they have become role models for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who greatly admire the way they have raised their children out of the public spotlight (at one point, 16th in line de -Trone Louise even had a job at a local garden center for £6.83 an hour).
Sophie, in particular, has become a reliable “sounding board” for Kate and their relationship has gone from strength to strength, while William enjoys an easy relationship with his uncle (which cannot be said for his dealings with Andrew ).
On Monday, William was paired with Edward at the Order of the Garter service, while Sophie was seen giving him a reassuring pat on the back after the family’s touching appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Saturday, the first Kate’s public appearance since her cancer diagnosis. Sophie was also seen laughing with the princess and her children in Horse Guards.
The four are only expected to become more supportive of each other in the coming years as the youngest working royals in the Royal Family.
Certainly, the way Edward and Sophie have supported each other since their marriage at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, two and a half decades ago, is testament to the strength of their union.
As his friend Mr Foster Brown tells me: ‘Their wedding day was the most extraordinary experience. For all of us at that time, it was a wonderful thing to be a part of. Here we are, 25 years later, and all the hopes and expectations we had that day have been fulfilled.
“And that’s pretty important because, let’s face it, not everyone can say that.”