Sophie, Countess of Wessex, opened up about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a revealing new interview with the UK’s The Sunday Times.
The countess, who is married to Prince Edward and therefore Harry’s aunt and Queen Elizabeth’s daughter-in-law, spoke about what it’s like to marry into the royal family. The queen reportedly appointed Sophie to help mentor Meghan with royal life.
“We all try to help any new member of the family,” she said in the piece. Sophie added that compared to someone like Meghan, who had a brief courtship with Harry before getting engaged and married, she had more time to prepare for royal life.
“Remember I’d had five years to adjust, and for our six-month engagement I was even staying in Buckingham Palace,” the countess told the outlet. “Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out.”
The piece also delves into Sophie and Edward’s struggles with the press attention in their lives. Prior to tying the knot with Edward, Sophie was the victim of The Sun publishing old topless photos of now-countess.
She also ran into tabloid trouble when she fell for an undercover reporter posing as a sheik’s assistant, and spoke on a number of topics in what became known as the “Sophie tapes.”
Much like Meghan and Harry, Sophie and Edward also tried to have careers while remaining royals. After a few scandals, however, they decided to devote themselves full-time to their work as royals.
But as for Meghan and Harry’s decision to step back as working members of the royal family, Sophie only wishes one thing: “I just hope they will be happy.”
She also addressed reports that she will be one of the family members who will step up to fill the Sussexes’ engagements.
“We’ve all got our own little portfolios,” the royal said. “I don’t see anything changing, but if we’re asked to do more … I don’t know because it hasn’t really happened.”
Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back as working members of the royal family on Jan. 8. Since then, the family has relocated to Los Angeles with their son, Archie, who recently celebrated his first birthday.
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