Prince Edward and Sophie's 'fate sealed' after surprise move by tennis star
The Duchess of Edinburgh is a beloved member of the Royal Family and often referred to as King Charles' 'secret weapon'.
In the 25 years since she married Prince Edward, she has frequently shown her dedication to her key charitable interests, ranging from preventable blindness to gender equality,
However, her introduction into life as a member of the most famous family in the world came with an unexpected - and sporting - twist and largely due to a last-minute change by a well-known BBC presenter and tennis star.
Sophie first crossed paths with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1993 at the Queen's Tennis Club in London during the Prince Edward Summer Challenge. At that time, Sophie was handling PR for the event with MacLaurin Communications.
Brian McLaurin, Sophie's boss, suggested a photo call at the event to generate interest in the Prince's Challenge, associated with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.
A promotional campaign was planned with former tennis star and BBC presenter Sue Barker. However, just an hour before the meeting, Brian received news that Sue couldn't make it and asked his colleague Sophie to participate in the shoot with the prince, reports the Mirror.
After the photoshoot, Sophie gave her number to the prince in case any issues arose with the challenge or if Brian was unreachable. However, Prince Edward had a different plan and invited her for a game of real tennis and dinner at his Buckingham Palace apartment.
The couple announced their engagement six years later on 6 January 1999.
Before their wedding, it was revealed by the palace that the couple would be known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex. On Prince Edward's 59th birthday in March last year, King Charles decided to bestow upon them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
When not carrying out her royal duties, Sophie's main interests lie in supporting young people with disabilities, eradicating avoidable blindness, agriculture, fashion, and preventing sexual violence in conflict areas.
The Duchess has journeyed to numerous countries to raise awareness for these causes in her role as patron or global ambassador. In 2013, she visited India and Qatar for World Sight Day to witness the global issues surrounding preventable blindness first-hand.
In 2019, she travelled to Kenya on International Women's Day to support gender equality, girls' education, and the prevention of sexual violence. Most recently she travelled to Ukraine - making her the first member of the Royal Family to do so since conflict began.
Sophie, along with her husband, has taken on a significant role in co-managing the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The Duchess even completed a 450-mile cycle ride from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace as her Diamond Challenge for the scheme.
When she's not fulfilling her public duties, she resides near Windsor Castle at Bagshot Park in Surrey with her husband and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
