The Duchess of Edinburgh has been sucking up to Prince William and Kate for years. It’s similar to the way she sucked up to Queen Elizabeth II, and Sophie made sure to milk her relationship with her mother-in-law for all it was worth. Currently, Sophie’s PR is that she’s a loving aunt and “big sister” figure to both William and Kate. William even took Sophie as his date to a documentary screening last year, and Sophie and Kate are often paired together for formal events. Sophie’s PR always lays it on so thick, and you would think that she and Kate are regularly confiding in each other, which I strongly suspect that basically only see each other at events like Remembrance Sunday. That was where Sophie was seen putting a supportive hand on Kate’s shoulder, which launched Becky English’s weird new story about how Sophie and Kate bonded over how much they hated Meghan Markle or something. Some highlights:
Kate and Sophie support each other’s work: While the future Queen has focused on domestic issues such as mental health and the well-being of under-fives, Sophie has travelled solo to Chad, Ethiopia and even war-torn Ukraine – campaigning on women’s rights and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. And yet there is no competition between them, as was sometimes claimed in the early days of Diana and Sarah. Both respect each other’s work and they are mutually supportive of their approaches to their royal roles.
Kate admires Sophie: I am told Catherine also has ‘enormous admiration’ for Sophie as mother to Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, 21, and the Earl of Wessex, 16 – both of whom have been brought up to value their privilege while having freedom away from the royal radar. It’s an approach Catherine is trying to adopt with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis within constrictions of their higher profiles and future roles. Catherine is said to be especially fond of level-headed Lady Louise, studying English literature at her alma mater St Andrews.
Sophie is pushing Louise to become a working royal: Louise is a member of the University Officers’ Training Corps and keen to pursue a career in the military, diplomacy or law. Some in royal circles suspect that, under a future King William V, Lady Louise could be called on to support the family at an increasing number of royal engagements – and shore up their dwindling ranks. ‘She’s an absolutely delightful young woman and would be a real asset,’ says a family friend.
Sophie & Kate’s issues with Meghan: Interestingly, I am told, both ‘repeatedly’ reached out to Meghan when she joined the Royal Family – Sophie particularly so as the late Queen valued her wise and steady counsel. They continued to do so even after the Duchess of Sussex first publicly voiced her unhappiness in 2019, telling journalist Tom Bradby that few people had asked if she was ‘OK’ as she struggled to adapt to royal life. Both women were ‘shocked’ (and probably slightly angered) at the suggestion – not least because they felt it was Meghan who had rebuffed them. But I know they were concerned enough at the apparent strength of the Duchess of Sussex’s feelings that they continued to offer their support. Needless to say, it was not taken up. There is no doubt the ensuing ‘Sussex saga’ brought Sophie and Catherine even closer as they defended Queen Elizabeth, their own families and the institution they had worked so hard to support.
Sophie wants to be Kate’s closest advisor: ‘There have been some really kind and wise people along the way who have helped the princess over the years, and Sophie is very much one of those,’ one royal insider says. Mark Foster-Brown, the Edinburghs’ close friend, has also echoed this, previously telling me: ‘Sophie has been a very positive reference point and sounding board for the Duchess of Cambridge. Their relationship has really strengthened. It will be absolutely critical for [the princess] to have a female backup. And she simply couldn’t get better than someone like Sophie.’
Again, this is all written by Becky English, which means that one of the royal comms offices is pushing this narrative really hard, that Kate and Sophie lean on each other and that Sophie is an advisor/girlfriend/steady hand. I guess it’s all coming from Sophie, who continues to work with little attention, and she knows she can get a quick hit in the Mail if she briefs about her closeness to Kate and her “anger” towards Meghan. That alone with strengthen her bond with the Waleses – Will and Kate were never closer than when they were bullying the Sussexes, and Sophie has always tried to get a piece of that action.
As for the Meghan stuff… Kate and Sophie were not super-supportive at any point of Meghan’s brief, horrible time on that island. What did Sophie say when Kate and her mother were circulating endless stories about “Meghan making Kate cry?” What did Sophie advise when Kate was regularly freaking out about Meghan saying “baby brain” or not giving her an Easter gift? Was Sophie around when Kate was apparently regularly making disparaging comments about the skin color of Meghan’s baby?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.