The Earl And Countess Of Wessex

AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 20 TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF WESSEX HOW A QUIET DEVOTION TO DUTY WON THE NATION’S HEART

- Tracy Schaverien

Twenty years ago this week, Sophie Rhys Jones walked down the aisle at St George’s Chapel to marry Prince Edward, radiating happiness as she later rode with her husband through Windsor in an open-top carriage, ready to begin her new life as a member of the royal family.

Since then, the Countess of Wessex has established herself as one of the most popular and admired members of “The Firm”. Her understated elegance, quiet sense of duty and devotion to her children has not only endeared her to the public but has marked her out as a firm favorite of the Queen.

Meanwhile, her marriage to the Earl – the only one of the Queen’s children not to have divorced – remains rock solid after 26 years as a couple, with observers describing their relationship as close and loving.

Buckingham Palace tells hello! that the couple plan to celebrate their wedding anniversary privately on Wednesday 19 June.

“Sophie is absolutely charming and always has been,” says Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine, who has met the Countess many times. “She’s very natural and low key and gets on with her job without making a fuss.

“Key to her popularity is that she’s never got grand about her position and she isn’t flashy or extravagant. She also appears to be a loving mum and a great wife.

“She has never tried to upstage Edward and she knows exactly when to take a back seat,” she adds. “They have a kind of mature relationship and he has his job and she has hers, so they probably spend more time apart than they would like. But they seem to have a very happy marriage.”

Shutterstock royal photographer Tim Rooke, who has been covering Sophie’s overseas tours for 20 years, agrees.