Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is reportedly "relieved" that she no longer has to curtsy to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The now-senior rank royal, who is married to Prince Edward, is not duty-bound to show deep respect to Meghan, even though the California royal technically ranks higher than Sophie when Prince Harry is accompanying her.
"Sophie is relieved," a friend of the Duchess told an outlet. "She no longer has to curtsy to someone in the family who has not only left royal duties but has spent the past three years criticizing the institution that Sophie works so hard to support."
This news follows reports about how Meghan is infamous for ghosting people, and Sophie, the then-Countess of Wessex, is perhaps the most famous ghostee in Markle's repertoire. This became apparent after Sophie tried to "assist" the former actress by talking to her about the expectations of royal life before the Suits star wed Prince Harry in May 2018.
"It was just the two of them, and they talked for hours," an insider spilled. "Meghan had so many questions, and Sophie, who knows what it’s like navigating your way through the early days of transition from a commoner to a royal, gave freely of her advice."
They continued: "Sophie found Meghan likable and engaging, and told her that she could call her any time when she needed advice about dealing with some of the trickier royals."
Sophie Rhys-Jones married Queen Elizabeth II's youngest child, Prince Edward, in 1999 and went on to become Her late Majesty's rumored "favorite daughter-in-law." As a tried and true commoner, just like Sarah Ferguson and Kate Middleton, the Countess of Wessex allegedly felt that she was "well-qualified" to guide Meghan's transition to British royalty. Furthermore, the late Queen was instrumental in guiding Sophie to assist Meghan in how to be a princess.
"The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood Harry's girl might find adjusting to royal life 'challenging to begin with' (as she put it). 'It is very jolty, but you soon get used to it' — that was Her Majesty's experience going back many years," Gyles Brandreth, author of Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, dished.
"To help Meghan, the Queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. 'Sophie can help show you the ropes,' said the Queen. Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie's help. She had Harry," he wrote.
Her Royal Highness commented on the Montecito Duchess in a rare 2020 interview with a publication. "Remember, I’d had five years to adjust [to royal life]. And for our six-month engagement, I was even staying at Buckingham Palace. Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out."
Daily Express reported on the insider revelations.