35 Facts About the Countess of Wessex

HRH The Countess of Wessex

     Today (or yesterday depending on your location), Sophie, Countess of Wessex celebrates her 49th birthday. To commemorate it, I have compiled a list of 35 facts about Sophie as the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (the Queen's youngest child), the mother of two children, and a working member of the royal family in her own right. 


1. HRH The Countess of Wessex was born as Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones on January 20, 1965 at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, England, United Kingdom.

2. Her parents are Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary O’Sullivan.

3. She is the younger of two children.

4. She has an older brother named David.

5. Her father was a tire salesman and her mother was secretary.

6. Rhys-Jones was raised in Brenchley, Kent.

7. Her formal education began at Dulwich College Preparatory School in Cranbrook, then progressed along to Kent College School for Girls in Pembury.

8. For post-secondary education, attended and graduated from West Kent College in Tonbridge.

9. Upon graduation, Rhys-Jones embarked on a career in public relations.

10. She was employed by Capital Radio (in the press and promotions department) and by the PR firms Quentin Bell Organization and MacLaurin Communications & Media.

11. She also worked as a ski representative in Switzerland and worked for a year in Australia.

12. In 1996, Rhys-Jones launched her own public relations company, RJH Public Relations, which she operated with her business partner Murray Harkin.

13. Sophie Rhys-Jones and Prince Edward met each other at a charity event in 1993.

14. During the courtship, the Queen allowed her to stay overnight in the royal apartments in Buckingham Palace whenever she wished.

15. Prince Edward and Sophie were engaged in January 1999.

16. Rhys-Jones was given an engagement ring featuring a two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped gemstones set in 18-karat white gold.

17. On June 19, 1999, Sophie Rhys-Jones married Prince Edward in a ceremony at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, which was televised around the world. Edward was given the titles Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn.

18. Upon her marriage, Sophie’s title and style became: Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex.

19. The Severn title is a reference to Sophie’s Welsh ancestry.

20. The Earl and Countess of Wessex have two children: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (2003) and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (2007).

21. Since her marriage, Sophie has been carrying out royal duties on behalf of the Queen, in support of her husband, and in her own right in the UK and throughout the world. She has ended her business ventures.

22. In 2001, Sophie made her first royal overseas visit when she visited the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.

23. She is Patron of various charities and organizations, particularly those with a focus on helping and improving opportunities for children and young people with sensory, learning and communications disabilities.

24. Her patronages include Dyslexia Action, Mencap, the National Autistic Society, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and Vision 2020.

25. Her daughter Louise was born with exotropia, a condition where the eyes are deviated outward and appear to be crossed.

26. The Countess – along with Prince Edward – has represented the Queen at many foreign royal events, including the weddings of the Prince of Monaco, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and the Crown Prince of Denmark.

27. In February-March 2012, they visited the Caribbean Commonwealth countries of Saint Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, and Antigua and Barbuda as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. They also visited Gibraltar on the Queen’s behalf over that summer.

28. In the United Kingdom, she holds the following honorary military appointments: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Army Music, Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion The Rifles, Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force, Wittering, and Sponsor of HMS Daring. 

29. She was made a Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (DStJ) in 2005, as well as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 2010.

30. In Canada, she is also the Colonel-in-Chief of the South Alberta Light Horse and Colonel-in-Chief of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.

31. In 2013, she became the first Global Ambassador of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

32. The Countess is an 11th cousin once removed of Prince Edward, through their common ancestors Nicholas St. John of Lydiard Tregoze and his wife, Elizabeth (a relative of Elizabeth Blount, a mistress of Henry VIII of England and Ireland).

33. The Earl and Countess have an official residence at Buckingham Palace and a personal residence at Bagshot Park in Surrey.

34. As of 2014, her full title and style is: Her Royal Highness The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

35. Upon the death of the Queen and Prince Philip, the title of Duke of Edinburgh - currently held by Philip - is expected to be granted to Prince Edward. As a result, Sophie will become the Duchess of Edinburgh – the title held by the Queen after her marriage and before her accession.


Photo Credit: Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons cc