The Countess of Wessex has opened up about grief following the death of her mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, back in 2005. During an appearance at the National Federation of Women's Institutes annual meeting, the royal touched upon the pain of losing a loved one.
Offering royal fans a rare insight into her personal life, the wife of Prince Edward explained: "To this day, I miss her very much and there are moments where I hear some music she loved or I do something I know she'd have wanted to hear about, which makes her early departure very hard."
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Her mother passed away in August 2005 at the age of 71, when Sophie's daughter Lady Louise Windsor was almost two years old.
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"She has missed out on so much, and I'm particularly sad that she hasn't seen my children grow up or seen how my work has grown and developed," she added.
Mary, whose family was originally from Ireland, worked as a part-time secretary and was involved in charity work. She tied the knot with Sophie's father, Christopher Rhys-Jones, before they welcomed two children.
The couple settled in Oxfordshire before moving to the village of Brenchley, Kent. Mary gave birth to their son David in 1963, and Sophie arrived two years later.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSophie has opened up about grief
The comment about grief comes shortly after Sophie spoke about her "confident" daughter during her first major interview alongside her husband, Prince Edward. Sophie shared a sweet insight into the 17-year-old as she fondly spoke about how participating in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award has "broadened her horizons".
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Speaking to The Telegraph, Sophie said: "She's loved it, it's really pushed her into doing things that she’s had to schedule into her routine. She's quite a committed person anyway. This is the kind of thing that really ticks the boxes for her. But in terms of confidence, it’s given her a huge amount."
Sophie even revealed that Louise's newfound confidence has encouraged her to return to a beloved sport. The Countess added: "She's taken up fencing again as her skill, which she has really loved."
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