Her hands clasped loosely beneath her increasing bump, and a serene smile on her face, the Countess of Wessex was every inch the blooming mum-to-be at a memorial service for military staff slain in the Iraq war. She was accompanying the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the royal couple's four children.
Sophie, who at 38 will be one of the oldest first-time mothers in recent royal history, looked well and happy as she paused for a moment in the autumn sunshine outside St Paul's Cathedral last week. It was a rare appearance for the countess, who is expecting her baby in December.
She and husband Prince Edward were devastated when she suffered an ectopic pregnancy in December 2001. At the time medical experts warned that Sophie might not be able to conceive without fertility treatment, and while the countess remained upbeat –"I'm obviously very sad, but… there will be other chances" – she later underwent a course of IVF. In the end, however, she conceived naturally.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
