Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 55, is married to Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and Prince Philip’s, 99, youngest son Prince Edward, 56, and provides vital support to the crown. While Sophie and Edward have only been full time working members of the Firm since 2002, the Countess has received several important royal honours and roles in that time.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex royal title explained
Sophie became the Countess of Wessex upon her marriage to Prince Edward in 1999.
While the Queen usually gifts dukedoms to her sons and grandsons when they marry, Prince Edward received an earldom unlike his older brothers Prince Charles, 72, and Prince Andrew, 60.
A royal insider has since claimed that while Edward was offered the dukedom of Cambridge by the Queen he asked to be made the Earl of Wessex instead due to his fondness for the Essex character in the film Shakespeare in Love.
READ MORE: Queen brutally rejected Sophie’s request to become Princess
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2003: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
2005: Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Army Music
2006: Ship’s Sponsor of HMS Daring
2006: Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion The Rifles
2008: Honorary Air Commodore Royal Air Force Wittering
Sophie and Prince Edward live at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their two teenage children – Lady Louise Windsor, 17, and James, Viscount Severn, 13.
The royal residence was a wedding gift to the couple from the Queen.
Since Meghan and Prince Harry’s departure from royal life last year, Sophie and Edward have played an increasingly important role in serving the monarchy.
