THERE were no sparks the first time she met the prince she’d one day marry. In fact, he was dating one of her friends at the time.
But when they met again six years later Sophie Rhys-Jones was smitten and the queen’s youngest son fell for her big time.
Now the Countess of Wessex is one of the royal family stalwarts and was a pillar of support for Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the past two years she stepped up even more, helping to take over many of the late monarch’s duties and helping to fill the void left by Prince Harry and disgraced Prince Andrew.
“She’s been making a difference in a very understated, very ‘Sophie’ way,” says Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine.
Edward certainly chose wisely with the former public relations executive.
Today they remain one of the few royal couples not plagued by scandal or divorce.
HER CHILDHOOD
Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born on 20 January 1965 in Oxford, England. Her father,
