Prince Harry and Meghan supported by unlikely royal as she extends affection to William

The Duchess of Edinburgh is a trusted go-to for many members of the Firm, including those who have struggled with royal life - and is seen as a 'bridge between generations'

While navigating the protocols of the tight-knit British monarchy has proved extremely challenging for some, the Duchess of Edinburgh has managed to carve out a unique position where she is trusted and beloved by many of her fellow royals. Though others who married into the family, like the late Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, told of their struggles to adapt to the rigorous expectations of The Firm, Sophie, as OK! reports, appears to be universally respected and liked, and her appeal to younger and older royals has seen her dubbed a “bridge between generations”.

As royal commentator Katie Nicholl says, “Sophie is a very popular member of the family because she’s easy-going, there’s never any drama, and she just gets on with the job, quietly and diligently.” One of the Duchess’s key allies at the heart of the royal family appears to be the Princess of Wales, who is a near neighbour in Windsor. “Sophie and Catherine are very close – I think much more so than people realise,” Katie says.

“There’s not a huge age difference between them, and Sophie really welcomed Catherine when she married into the family. She was an outsider and so-called commoner, just as Sophie was, so they had that bond from an early stage.” Photographs of the pair have always hinted at a special friendship, as seen at Royal Ascot in 2017, where they were pictured giggling as Sophie tumbled into their carriage and almost landed on Kate. They have been snapped on joint shopping trips in London and watching Wimbledon together too, while in 2018 they joined forces to host the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange at Buckingham Palace.

During the pandemic, the two women also teamed up to make a video call to hard-working nurses in global locations, including Australia, India, Malawi, the Bahamas and Cyprus. It appears that Sophie has a similarly strong relationship with her nephew Prince William, too. “She was very supportive in those years when William and Prince Harry fell out and there were all the problems over him and Meghan leaving the country,” adds Katie. “Sophie was among the few people who understood how difficult it was behind the scenes, and rumour has it she played a bit of a peacekeeper. That’s partly why she has been so successful in the family, because she’s never got overly involved in all the internal politics.”

Sophie and William’s rapport was clearly visible in June 2024 during the ancient Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle, when they were photographed smiling and chatting. Two days earlier at Trooping the Colour, Sophie was seen affectionately placing a hand on William’s back as they headed back into Buckingham Palace from the balcony after the customary RAF flypast. In 2023, they also attended a Rhino Man film screening in London, looking relaxed as they arrived together in a black 4x4.

With the Edinburgh and Wales families growing closer since William and Harry’s rift first emerged, Katie says, “Both Sophie and Prince Edward have been there emotionally for William and Catherine, and their friendship was cemented over it. They live close to each other in Windsor, and the Edinburghs have visited them at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, too.” Sophie seems to have gone to great lengths not to take sides however, and reports suggested she was the first royal to visit the Sussexes following the birth of their son Archie in 2019.

“She did the right thing,” a source said at the time. “She got in the car and went over. She has the empathy and warmth that maybe people who grew up in that family don’t naturally have.” Additionally, Sophie shared a car with Meghan to the Queen’s funeral, travelling behind other members of the family who walked on foot. Elsewhere in the family, Sophie is thought to have gelled with her sister-in-law Queen Camilla. Both women are said to have been instrumental in supporting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis, as was evident when they helped host Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan for a state dinner in the summer, his first since his illness was revealed.

“Sometimes you get a glimpse of Sophie and Camilla at official engagements, and you can see the smiles aren’t just for the cameras,” says Katie. “They genuinely get along, and if you look at their interests, particularly around women empowerment, there’s a lot of common ground.” The King himself is known to be a big supporter of Sophie, and Katie adds, “I think he is very grateful to her for continually stepping up in recent years. He showed his gratitude by bestowing her and Edward with their Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh titles. It really is an enormous honour for Sophie, and tells you everything you need to know about how much Charles values and respects her.”

The Duchess has also hosted events with her sister-in-law Princess Anne, and they were even dubbed a new “power duo”, following a reception for Korean war veterans at Buckingham Palace in March. The pair were said to have grown closer after the death of Prince Philip, as both rallied around the grief-stricken Queen, and in a touching moment during the late monarch’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in 2022, Sophie was seen tenderly putting an arm around Anne. Both women have also shown unwavering commitment to their royal duties, often visiting dangerous or extremely deprived locations in the world.

“They share a lot in common,” says royal author Ingrid Seward. “Princess Anne has been unafraid over the years to visit some very difficult places, and Sophie seems to be from that same kind of mould.” Outside of the family, Sophie is thought to remain close to her former London flatmate and BFF Sarah Sienesi, who became her lady-in-waiting in 2009.

She also manages to maintain a busy social life near home, with Katie telling us, “She has a group of girlfriends around Bagshot. She and Edward also have a wide tennis circle, but it’s all pretty low key.” The pair love skiing in glitzy resorts like St Moritz in Switzerland, too, with billionaire financier Urs Schwarzenbach often joining them on the slopes with his family. “His wife Francesca is godmother to Lady Louise,” says Ingrid. “They hang out together a lot, and still manage to enjoy lots of privacy when they’re with them.”