EXCLUSIVE: Soon to turn 61, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh is a solid mentor and confidante to Kate, Princess of Wales – with the bond seen as one of the monarchy’s biggest strengths
With her 61st birthday just around the corner, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s growing bond with the Princess of Wales is a sign of her soaring importance within the royal family.
Sophie and Kate’s close affinity is now seen as one of the monarchy’s biggest strengths, and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK!, “They have a lot in common, and I’m sure that Sophie was an invaluable mentor for the princess as she learned about royal ways of life. I think they’re now much more like friends than aunt and niece, and the two of them have established a very solid friendship which will serve our future Queen well in years to come.”
Kate, 44, is said to have called Sophie a “tower of strength” during her cancer ordeal and subsequent recovery, and Jennie adds, “I’m sure it’s been a comfort for the princess to know that Sophie was on hand during the last difficult couple of years. After all, Sophie had her own serious health problems with an ectopic pregnancy and then a very difficult birth.”
To coincide with her birthday earlier this month, Kate released a “deeply personal” video discussing the healing powers of nature during her cancer treatment. During the film, which is the final instalment of her Mother Nature series, Kate reflects on how “deeply grateful” she is to “discover what it means to be alive”.
“Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration. Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection,” she says, adding, “To discover the deepest parts of ourselves. Alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing. I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am.”
Although Sophie is 17 years older than Kate, the two women are similar in that both came from non-aristocratic backgrounds before marrying into the family. Sophie wed Prince Edward, 61, in 1999, while Kate tied the knot with Prince William, 43, in 2011. “Life has thrown these two women together quite randomly, and landed them on what must have seemed like an alien planet at first,” says Jennie. “The rest of us can only imagine what it must be like to find yourself suddenly inside palace walls.”
Living just a few minutes’ drive apart – Kate at Forest Lodge in Windsor and Sophie at Bagshot Park – the pair have been snapped joking together at events, including the annual Order of the Garter service and Wimbledon. At Royal Ascot in 2017, they were seen laughing as Sophie lost her footing in their carriage. With both also being busy working mums – Kate to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and Sophie to Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex – they no doubt swap parenting tips, too.
“Sophie has been able to give her children as normal a life as possible, while bringing them up in the public eye,” says ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship. “The spotlight they’re under is not as great as the one on Kate’s children, but it’s nice to see Kate and Sophie have that rapport. Whenever they’re at an engagement together, you can see the close bond between them.”
Set to celebrate her birthday on 20 January, Sophie has been called the royal family’s “secret weapon”, but Jennie believes she has now exceeded that. “Sophie is not so much a ‘secret’ weapon these days: she’s an outright star of the royal family,” Jennie says.
Sophie and Edward have both taken on bigger workloads in recent months to support King Charles, 77, through his continued cancer treatment, with the duchess increasingly seen as a go-to representative on home soil and overseas. “It must be of great comfort for the King to know that the duke and duchess have been on hand to carry out extra duties whenever necessary,” adds Jennie. “The warmth of the relationship between Charles and Sophie is obvious. She is completely relaxed with her brother-in-law and they often seem to share a joke together.”
Over recent years, Sophie has also developed a close rapport with her nephew Prince William. “They occasionally carry out engagements together which, of course, is a double win,” says Jennie. “At the Royal Cornwall Show last June, they toured the stalls together laughing and joking as they tried out local produce. They’re obviously extremely comfortable in one another’s company and seem more like cousins than aunt and nephew. It’s always good to see members of the family getting along so well.”
On the global stage, Sophie regularly champions survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones, and was the first royal to visit both the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2022 and Baghdad in Iraq in 2023. “Sophie has established herself as a champion of incredibly difficult causes,” adds Jennie. “Her work has taken her to a number of dangerous countries, but she has never flinched and often goes under the radar. She speaks with authority and confidence – frequently without notes. She is immersed in the detail of her campaigns and her passion shines through.”
Source: Mirror
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