Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sophie |
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Sophie in 2023
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| Born | Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones 20 January 1965 Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, United Kingdom |
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| House | Windsor (by marriage) |
| Father | Christopher Rhys-Jones |
| Mother | Mary O'Sullivan |
| Education | West Kent College |
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones; 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. He is the youngest brother of King Charles III.
Sophie grew up in Brenchley, Kent, England. She trained as a secretary at West Kent College. Later, she worked in public relations for many companies. She even started her own business in 1996. Sophie met Edward in 1987 and they began dating in 1993. They got engaged in January 1999 and married on 19 June. The wedding took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Sophie and Edward have two children. They are Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex. As of 2024, James is fifteenth in line to the British throne. Lady Louise is sixteenth. In 2002, Sophie stopped her business work. She began working full-time for the royal family. She supports over 70 charities and groups. These include Childline and the London College of Fashion. She does more than 200 royal events each year. Her charity work often helps people with disabilities and supports women's rights. She also works on preventing blindness and promoting agriculture.
Contents
Sophie's Early Life
Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born in Oxford, England. Her birthday is 20 January 1965. Her family was middle-class. Her father, Christopher, was a sales director. Her mother, Mary, was a charity worker. Sophie has an older brother named David. She was named after her father's sister, Helen.
Sophie grew up in a 17th-century farmhouse. It was in Brenchley, Kent. She went to Dulwich Preparatory School. Then she attended Kent College, Pembury. She later trained as a secretary. This was at West Kent College in Tonbridge.
Sophie's Career Before Marriage
Sophie started her career in public relations. She worked for several companies. This included four years at Capital Radio. She also worked as a ski guide in Switzerland. She spent a year traveling and working in Australia. In 1996, Sophie started her own PR company. It was called RJH Public Relations. She ran it with her business partner for five years.
Marriage and Family Life
Sophie first met Prince Edward in 1987. He is the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. They met again in 1993 and started their relationship. Edward proposed to Sophie in December 1998. Their engagement was announced on 6 January 1999. Edward gave her a beautiful engagement ring. It had a two-carat diamond.
Their wedding was held on 19 June 1999. It took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. This was different from Edward's older siblings' weddings. Their weddings were larger events. On their wedding day, Prince Edward became the Earl of Wessex. Sophie became the Countess of Wessex.
The couple went to Balmoral Castle for their honeymoon. After their marriage, they moved to Bagshot Park in Surrey. This is their private home. Their official London office is at Buckingham Palace.
In November 2003, Sophie gave birth to her daughter, Lady Louise. She was born a bit early. In December 2007, Sophie gave birth to her son, James.
Sophie's Public Work
Sophie's first trip outside the UK after marrying was to Canada in 2000. In 2011, she visited troops in Afghanistan with her husband. In 2012, they visited the Caribbean for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. They also represented the Queen in Gibraltar.
In 2013, the couple visited South Africa. Sophie also made solo trips to India and Qatar. She supported a charity that helps prevent blindness. In 2014, Sophie visited Zambia. She represented the Queen at the funeral of the president.
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In 2015, Sophie attended the reburial of King Richard III of England. She also visited the Channel Islands to celebrate Liberation Day. She traveled to Canada and the United States in November 2015. In New York City, she visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. She also attended an Armistice Day service.
In March 2017, Sophie visited Malawi. She worked to end avoidable blindness. In October 2017, she and Edward visited Brunei. In November 2017, Sophie visited a fashion training unit. It was at HM Prison Downview. She met staff and prisoners there.
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In January 2018, Sophie visited charities in Belfast. These charities help people with learning disabilities. She also opened a new dementia-friendly unit. In February 2018, Sophie and Edward visited Sri Lanka. In October 2018, they toured the Baltic states.
In March 2019, Sophie went to New York City. She attended a meeting about women's rights. This was for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. In April 2019, she visited India. She saw work done to fight blindness. By the end of 2019, Sophie had completed 236 official events. In March 2020, she became the first royal to visit South Sudan.
In January 2022, Sophie visited Qatar. She supported an initiative to improve eye care. She also met Afghan women refugees. In March 2022, Sophie went on a solo trip to New York City. She spoke about women's rights in Afghanistan.
In April 2022, Edward and Sophie toured the Caribbean. This was for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. In October 2022, she visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She was the first royal to visit the country. After Edward became Duke of Edinburgh, they visited Edinburgh. They met Ukrainian and Eastern European communities. In May 2023, Sophie visited Iraq. She was the first royal to visit Baghdad. In April 2024, the Duchess visited Ukraine. She met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. In October 2024, she visited Chad. She met refugees from the Sudanese civil war.
Charity Work
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Sophie and Edward started The Wessex Youth Trust in 1999. It helped children and young people. In 2019, it was renamed. It became the Earl and Countess of Wessex Charitable Trust.
Sophie became a patron of many groups. In 2000, she supported the Foundation of Light. This group uses football to help with education. She also became a trustee for the UCL Jill Dando Institute. This group studies crime. She supports charities that help with communication difficulties. In 2003, she became patron of Tomorrow's People Trust. This helps people find work and housing. She also supports Meningitis Now and The Scar Free Foundation. She became president of Girlguiding UK in 2003. She held this role until 2024. She is now the patron of the organization.
Sophie supports agriculture and farming. She is a patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations. She also supports the 'Campaign for Wool'. This promotes the use of British wool. She works to raise awareness about preventable blindness. In 2013, she became the first patron of the London College of Fashion. She also became royal patron of British Wheelchair Basketball.
In 2015, Sophie became vice patron of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. This charity closed in 2020. In November 2015, she became Global Ambassador for 100 Women in Hedge Funds. In September 2016, Sophie cycled for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. She raised over £180,000. In December 2016, she became patron of NSPCC, Blind Veterans UK, and British Cycling Federation.
In 2017, Sophie became president of the Devon County Agricultural Association. She also became patron of the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association. In October 2017, she became royal patron for the Ice Maiden team. This team of British Army women skied across Antarctica. In January 2018, Sophie became Royal Patron of the Nursing Memorial Appeal. This appeal wants to create a memorial for nurses who died in wars. In January 2019, Sophie became patron of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. This service helped save her life in 2001.
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In April 2020, Sophie helped prepare food for NHS staff. This was during the coronavirus pandemic. She also volunteered at food banks. She delivered food to homeless people. In September 2020, Sophie and her family cleaned a beach. This was for the Marine Conservation Society.
In February 2021, Sophie volunteered at a vaccination center. In May 2021, she became royal patron of Wellbeing of Women. This charity focuses on women's health. In July 2021, she took over patronage of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. In December 2022, Sophie received an award. It was the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award. This was for her charity work in war zones.
Gifts and Discussions
In December 2011, Sophie received two sets of jewels. These were gifts from the royal family of Bahrain. Her husband also received gifts. Some people questioned these gifts. They were concerned about human rights in Bahrain. There were calls for the jewels to be sold. The money would then go to the people of Bahrain.
Royal family rules say to think carefully before accepting gifts. They also say to think about causing offense if a gift is refused.
Titles and Honours
Titles and Styles
When Sophie married in 1999, she was called "Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex." In March 2019, her husband became the Earl of Forfar. So, she was sometimes called the Countess of Wessex and Forfar. On 10 March 2023, her husband became the Duke of Edinburgh. Since then, she has been known as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh."
Honours
2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
2004: Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
2005: Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
2010: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
2016: Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
2017: Service Medal of the Order of St John
2021: Service Medal of the Order of St John (First Bar)
2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
2022: Dame Grand Cross of the Venerable Order of Saint John (GCStJ)
- 2005–2022: Dame of Justice of the Venerable Order of Saint John (DStJ)
2023: King Charles III Coronation Medal
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Foreign Honours
2015: Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
2017: Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal
Honorary Military Roles
Canada
2004: Colonel-in-Chief of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment- 2005: Colonel-in-Chief of the South Alberta Light Horse
United Kingdom
2003: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps- 2005: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Army Music
2006: Lady Sponsor of HMS Daring- 2007: Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion The Rifles
2008: Honorary Air Commodore Royal Air Force Wittering- 2022: Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 2023: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Irish Regiment
- 2023: Royal Colonel of the Queen's Own Yeomanry
Named in Her Honour
- The Countess of Wessex Cup: An annual military competition.
- The rose cultivar Rosa 'Countess of Wessex' was named after her in 2004.
Arms
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Images for kids
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Sophie's signature
Authored articles
See also
In Spanish: Sofía de Edimburgo para niños
