Queen Elizabeth and Sophie, Countess of Wessex are known to have a strong bond.
The pair enjoy each other’s company and often visit church together, however there was a time when the former PR girl wasn’t in Her Majesty’s good books.
WATCH: The Queen and Sophie Wessex celebrate the Diamond Jubilee Trust
According to Express.co.uk, before Sophie was set to marry the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward in 1999, she reportedly asked to be given the title of Princess when she joined the royal family.
The Queen, however, refused the request, according to a royal author.
Writing in Vanity Fair in 2011, royal biographer Katie Nicholl claimed that Queen Elizabeth would “not allow” the title.
She wrote: “The Countess of Wessex had wanted to be known as Princess Sophie, but the Queen would not allow it.”
The reason for Sophie’s royal rejection would most likely have been because that would be the incorrect use of the title of Princess.
Technically, only royal women who are born into the Royal Family may be known as Princess in their own right, like Princess Anne or Princess Charlotte.
Sophie was instead given the title of Countess when she married Edward, who became Earl of Wessex on their wedding day.
Other ‘royals by marriage’, such as Diana also had titles which confused the public in the past.
Although Diana was popularly known as Princess Diana, this was a name bestowed on her by the public and not her correct title.
Diana was more properly HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, until her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles stripped her of the HRH honorific.
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