Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh ‘relieved’ at no more curtsying to Meghan

Sophie Wessex plays dodgeball at YMCA in the Cayman Islands

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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh is said to be “relieved” that her new title means she is no longer obliged to curtsy to Meghan Markle. Sophie and her husband Prince Edward were bestowed with the titles of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh by King Charles last Friday, with the promotion now putting Sophie at the same rank as Meghan instead of below her.

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As the Countess of Wessex, Sophie was duty-bound to curtsy to Meghan as she ranked higher as the Duchess of Sussex.

A friend of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh told the Daily Mail: “Sophie is relieved. 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 criticising the institution that Sophie works so hard to support.”

The Queen promised that Edward and Sophie would be granted the titles before her death, with Charles finally fulfilling her wishes last Friday, which was also Edward’s 59th birthday.

The title had previously been held by his late father Prince Philip.

Edward and Sophie’s 15-year-old son James will now become the Earl of Wessex, however there is no title change for their daughter Lady Louise Windsor.

The new Duchess of Edinburgh carried out more official royal engagements in 2022 than the Prince and Princess of Wales or the Queen Consort Camilla, with a total of 158.

She has been a working royal for 21 years after marrying Prince Edward in 1999.

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2021 Sophie described the day following her engagement to Edward when Prince Philip told them he wished the title to be passed on to them.

She said: “We sat there slightly stunned. He literally came straight in and said: ‘Right. I’d like it very much if you would consider that’.”

For Edward it was a “bittersweet moment” as he said “the only way the title can come to me is after both my parents have actually passed away”.

Edward was the only of Philip’s children whose birth he was present at and his youngest son was said to be his favourite.

Sophie was also said to have had a close relationship with Philip, much to the relief of the Queen.

Royal author Ingrid Seward previously told The Sunday Times: “She got on very well with Philip. The Queen always found that a bit of a relief, if female members of the family knew how to handle Philip.

“She made him laugh, and was not fazed by his abruptness. She would not let him bully her.”

The Duchess is popular with the rest of the Firm, having been described as like a “second daughter” to Queen Elizabeth.

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