A combination of social gaffes and the sad crisis of an ectopic pregnancy last December have led to the Countess of Wessex giving up her business interests and adopting a lower profile in recent months. But the 37-year-old wife of Prince Edward, who is now committed to a full-time royal role, was back in the spotlight yesterday.
Participating in a walkabout with her husband to thank well-wishers for their flowers and condolences following the death of the Queen Mother on Saturday, Sophie gave a very personal insight into Prince Charles’s grief. Asked by one member of the public how the Queen and Charles were coping she revealed: “The Queen is bearing up bravely, but at the moment you just can’t speak to Charles about it.”
Her remarks came following a private visit paid by the couple to the Queen’s Chapel at St James’s Palace to bid farewell to Edward’s grandmother. During the walk back to Buckingham Palace, she and the Prince paused several times to chat to people along the route. And Sophie, who earlier in the day had examined the wreaths laid out in the grounds of Windsor Castle with her husband, often appeared close to tears.
Charles and his grandmother had a very special relationship. He was her favourite grandson, and in his heartfelt tribute to the woman he called “my darling grandmother” he revealed, “I adored her”, adding: “I learnt so much from her”. In a demonstration of the extraordinary bond between the two, the devastated Prince of Wales has requested that he accompany the Queen Mother’s coffin when it is taken to Windsor Castle after the funeral in Westminster Abbey. Charles is also to walk behind her coffin on Friday as it is taken from St James’s Palace to lie in state in Westminster Hall.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
On Wednesday, Sophie and Edward - pictured here arriving for evensong service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor on Sunday afternoon - chatted to well-wishers following a private visit to the Queen's Chapel at St James's Palace, where the Queen Mother currently lies at rest.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Sophie told one member of the public that "at the moment you just can't speak to Charles about it". The Prince of Wales was the Queen Mother's favourite grandson and the two enjoyed a special relationship
