The simple reason why late Queen considered Duchess Sophie her ‘favourite’ daughter-in-law
The bond between Queen Elizabeth II and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, became particularly strong following the death of Prince Philip. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has often been described as Queen Elizabeth II’s “favourite” member of the Royal Family. While both the Duchess and the late Queen didn’t share with the public what had made their relationship so special, one royal author argued the reason behind the former monarch’s affection for the Duchess was quite simple.
Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine and the author of the royal book My Mother and I, told Hello! magazine: “Sophie never pushes herself forward or wants to make things about her. “This was one of the reasons the late Queen was so fond of her and probably one of the reasons her and Edward’s partnership is such a success.” The Duchess of Edinburgh joined the Royal Family by marriage in June 1999, when she tied the knot with Prince Edward – the late Queen’s youngest son.
After losing her mother in 2005, Sophie – then the Countess of Wessex – is believed to have found support and solace in Queen Elizabeth II. Over the years, thanks also to how close the Edinburghs’ home in Surrey is to Windsor Castle, the bond between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law grew stronger. In recent years, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, became regular visitors of the late Queen and Prince Philip during their months-long summer holidays in Scotland.
Following the death of Prince Philip in April 2021, just days before he was to turn 100, Sophie reinforced even more her support for the late Queen, with royal commentator Duncan Larcombe telling Fabulous at the time that Sophie had emerged as the monarch’s “unlikely rock” during her first weeks as a widow. Additionally, speaking about this special relationship, one courtier claimed at the time: “If you’re asking who is Her Majesty’s favourite child, it’s none of them, it’s her daughter-in-law.”
Moreover, following the death of Prince Philip, it had been reported that prominent female royals were taking turns to visit the elderly sovereign and widow not to leave her alone – and Sophie was naturally part of this group. Showing just how close and trusted she was by the late Queen, Sophie was one of the first people to speak to the press about how the late monarch was doing following the death of her husband.
Despite being a working royal for several years, Sophie started being more noticed by the public following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ exit from the Firm in early 2020. Her public work focuses on women’s rights, stopping gender-based violence in conflict, disabilities and agriculture.
