Sophie, the new Duchess of Edinburgh, says she is “relieved” to not have to speak to Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle.
Sophie – now the Duchess of Edinburgh – was all smiles and in high spirits as she stepped out at an official event in Scotland just hours after Buckingham Palace’s announcement.
The former Countess of Wessex was previously obliged to defer to the Duchess of Sussex as the Duchess held a higher rank. But that’s not the case now, as she was given the new title of Duchess of Edinburgh on Friday following King Charles III’s elevation to Prince Edward III as Duke of Edinburgh.
A friend of the couple said: “Sophie is relieved. Not only does she now have to step down from her royal duties, but she no longer has to be upset with someone in the family who has spent the last three years criticizing the institution Sophie has worked so hard to support.”
The relationship between the two duchess became strained after Meghan rejected Sophie as a lifelong mentor as part of the monarchy.
Claims of tension between Sophie and Meghan were revealed in ‘Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait’ by Giles Brandreth, author and friend of the Royal Family. He writes that Meghan has “made it clear” she doesn’t need Sophie’s help and trusts Prince Harry instead.
