Duchess Sophie's decades-long transition from scandal hit royal to Firm's 'secret weapon'

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, is celebrating her 59th birthday today as one of the Royal Family’s most popular and well-loved members – but it wasn’t always that way.

Prince Edward’s wife will undoubtedly be spending her special day with her husband Prince Edward and their family and friends as the Firm braces for a challenging couple of months, following King Charles’s planned prostate operation next week and the Princess of Wales’s recovery until Easter after her abdominal surgery earlier this week.

Meanwhile, following the health bombshells, Sophie’s pivotal role within the Royal Family has been even more prominent as she has been providing vital support to the monarch, especially after his son, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, stepped down as working royals in 2020. Many have labelled the royal as the Firm’s “secret weapon” due to the pubic’s affection to her.

However, in her early years, the duchess caused a few headaches for the Firm as she was engulfed in a scandal that prompted more than a few negative headlines.

But what do we know about the public relations woman who fell in love with Prince Edward and became very close to the late Queen Elizabeth? Here Express.co.uk takes a look.

The Duchess of Edinburgh was born Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1965 to a middle-class family.

She was raised in Brenchley, Kent and attended various private schools throughout her childhood before finding her true calling in public relations.

She worked at different companies, including four years at Capital Radio, The Quentin Bell Organisation and MacLaurin Communications & Media while she also had a go at being a ski representative in Switzerland.

In 1996, she launched her own public relations agency, RJH Public Relations, which she ran with her business partner, Murray Harkin, for five years.

Sophie and Edward first locked eyes in 1987 but she was already in a relationship. The pair met again in 1993 and soon began their relationship.

Edward proposed to Sophie during a holiday in the Bahamas in December 1998 and their engagement was announced on January 6, 1999.

The couple married on June 19, 1999 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Since then they’ve welcomed two children, Lady Louise Windsor – born in 2003 – and James, the new Earl of Wessex – born in 2007.

In 2001, the Royal Family was plagued by another scandal, after recordings of damning conversations involving Sophie were leaked to the press.

The “Sophie tapes” heard the duchess criticise then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, as she appeared to abuse her royal connection, allegedly saying: “When people find we’re working for you, the chances are you’ll get people interested.

“[They’ll say,] ‘Oh, gosh, they’ve employed the Countess of Wessex’s PR company.’”

She also appeared to take aim at the then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, whom she referred to as “number one on the top 10 unpopular people.”

Soon after, Sophie stepped down from her position in the PR firm and in 2002, both she and Edward became full-time working royals.

But ever since then the duchess has fully dedicated her life to the royals and increasingly became close to the Firm, especially the late Queen Elizabeth, whom she once referred to by a deeply personal nickname, ‘mama’, in a speech.

In 2003, Elizabeth visited Sophie in hospital following an emergency C-section after placental abruption during her pregnancy with Lady Louise. It was reported that such a visit was highly unusual for the late monarch.

Since then, Sophie has long been working to promote and support women.

In 2014 she founded the Women’s Network Forum which she chairs, whereas in 2019 she committed herself to supporting the UK’s work helping victims of rape, sexual violence and exploitation in war.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Sophie had also volunteered with a range of organisations.