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Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex split hell

Royal shock!
  • 12 Jul 2019

Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex almost split in 1994, according to a royal biographer. 

PLAY TO WATCH MORE ROYAL FOOTAGE IN THE VIDEO

The couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on June 19, however, while they were still dating they came "precariously close" to breaking up. 

Sophie and Edward first met in 1993 in London at a charity tennis match organised by the Prince. 

And according to Ingrid Steward's 1995 book Prince Edward, Sophie, who was born a 'commoner', struggled to adjust to life as a royal. 

“Like all couples there were moments when the effort of adjusting led to rows and disagreements and, in the summer of 1994, they came precariously close to parting," Ingrid wrote. 

The countess was born plain Sophie Rhys-Jones, and hailed from a middle-class background. She  was a public relations girl who once worked for Capital Radio before marrying into the royal family. 

 

edward and sophie

Edward and Sophie on their wedding day, June 19, 1999

Getty

Ingrid said that just a year after they met, the Prince, who is the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, got cold feet. 

“Edward became what one friend described as ‘unnerved’ by the speed which the affair was developing.

“But if Edward was wracked by indecision (a not-uncommon problem amongst male members of his family) Sophie remained coolly determined.

“She was not prepared to let the relationship flounder.

“When rumours of the rift became public she dismissed them as ‘rubbish’.

“She was being elastic with the truth, but it did give her the breathing space she needed to get her relationship back on track again,” she wrote. 

theroyalfamily View Profile
59.7k likes - View Post on Instagram
🥃 The Earl and Countess of Forfar today visited Glenfiddich's Distillery Visitor Centre which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. #HolyroodWeek2019 This is where William Grant hand-built the original distillery in 1887 - an achievement that helped kick start the local whisky tourist industry which now attracts more than 2 million visitors a year! Later, The Earl and Countess tried their hands at pinning and stitching kilts at Keith Kilt School and Textile Centre.

Everything was back on track by the Christmas of 1994, and the couple went on to wed at St George’s Chapel in June 1999.

They now have two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 15, and James, Viscount Severn, 11, who is the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth.

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