SOPHIE Wessex and Prince Edward have just returned from a triumphant royal tour in Nepal, where they appeared loved up and spoke of the secrets to their 25-year marriage.
And it turns out that Sophie didn't just win the Duke of Edinburgh's heart, but she also received a gushing comment from the late Queen too.
Royal author Phil Dampier revealed that Her Majesty felt that Sophie, who turned 60 in January, was well matched with her son, also 60, due to her dependable and "charismatic” personality.
Phil told Fabulous: "The late Queen once said that Sophie was 'good for our Ed' and that’s so true.
“She has brought out the best of him and he is now much more popular than when he was younger.
“But she is very much the more charismatic partner and she is treasured by her 70 odd patronages, with more to come.”
Following King Charles and Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis, Sophie has been more than capable of picking up the slack.
Phil continued: "As a heavy burden falls on The King and Queen and William and Kate, they are being well supported by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
“Sophie has become a star in her own right, and the recent pictures of her to mark her 60th birthday showed her as relaxed, confident and keen to contribute a lot more.
“She is sophisticated and glamorous, but not a show-off, and she has become more elegant with age.
“She outshines her husband Prince Edward but the good thing is that he doesn’t seem to mind.”
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When Kate stepped back from public life, Sophie was the first to take on some of her engagements.
A senior royal source said: “That sort of pragmatism, a genuine desire to help and support someone who has been knocked off kilter, is pure Sophie.
“It really helped William and Kate, obviously in a practical way, but also knowing Sophie could always be relied upon to give her support whenever it was needed.”
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward popped the question to PR executive Sophie in the Bahamas, five years after they started dating.
Having tied the knot in 1999 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle - where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married - they celebrated their 25th anniversary last year.
During their Nepal trip, which followed in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who visited Nepal in 1986, the couple looked just as smitten as they had on their wedding day.
While joking competitively over who would plant a ceremonial tree, Prince Edward - the only child of the Queen to not have divorced - spoke about the secrets to the success of their 25-year marriage.
“We’re best friends,” he said.
Sophie added: “That’s true. There’s always got to be humour. Especially when you’re travelling and you’ve got no idea what’s about to happen. You’ve got to laugh.”
She added they are “always” competitive, even while walking up hills.
Speaking of the tree planting, Edward said: “There was a wonderful confusion because they wanted us both to plant the tree but Sophie was then going to go and plant a rhododendron.
"Well, hang on a minute, if you’re going to plant the rhododendron I should plant the tree — there was a lot of banter going on."
Trusted royals
Phil added that the King trusts the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh to do more overseas visits and "fly the flag for the UK."
He continued: “Sophie has done excellent work highlighting the sexual abuse of women and children in war zones but she hasn’t tried to copy Princess Diana and has done it in her own way.
“She is a good listener and obviously cares deeply about the people she meets, often being moved to tears.
“The King is delighted with their work and rates Sophie highly.
“She was incredibly close to the late Queen and Prince Philip and Charles was always grateful for that.
“He views them as vital working royals who can be trusted to get on with the job.
“They are helping to prop up the royal family at a difficult time and I can see a greater role for them in the future.”
Not only is Sophie trusted by King Charles, but Princess Kate is said to have found a 'tower of strength' in the Duchess of Edinburgh as she supported her throughout her cancer diagnosis.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was seen placing a supportive hand on the Princess of Wales' back as they left a balcony after the Remembrance Sunday service.
And that support was extended to the Wales’s children, with ‘Aunt Sophie’ arranging picnics and playdates at Bagshot for George, Louis and Charlotte, during the times when Kate needed to rest after her debilitating sessions of chemotherapy.
