It was really something to watch Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, navigate her grief for Queen Elizabeth II whilst simultaneously using the mourning period to jockey for position within the new royal establishment. I have no doubt that Sophie grieves for QEII, who was something of a second mother to her. I also have no doubt that Sophie is publicly lobbying King Charles III to upgrade her title and give her more work to do as a “senior royal.” Here’s something I guess I didn’t expect though: Sophie would use the funeral as a PR exercise for how amazing she is. These people, I swear to God.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex is staying strong for her family. A guest who attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday exclusively tells PEOPLE that the royal, 57, had remarkable resolve at the emotional service for her mother-in-law and has been a rock for her relatives as they mourn the Queen.
“The Countess of Wessex was incredible. I saw her putting her arm around three or four people,” lawyer Pranav Bhanot tells PEOPLE of what he saw. “It felt like she was really the glue keeping everyone quite strong today. She really seemed to be the person keeping the family together,” Bhanot explains. “There were a few bishops who started crying when they saw the Queen and she was kind of comforting them, even though she is the direct family member.”
The guest, 34, says that Sophie, who is married to the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward, was warmly there for everyone around her, including Kate Middleton.
“She put her arm around Kate’s shoulders towards the end too. It was comforting,” Bhanot says, reflecting on what the move meant. “From where I was I got the sense that… sometimes you have that one strong person in a family who’s kind of keeping everyone together. To me, it seemed like Sophie was that person today,” he adds. “It was something that really stood out because it seemed that she really was very strong.”
Bhanot is an attorney in Essex, England, and provided free counsel during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic to people whose lives were seriously disrupted, The New York Times reported. He also helped deliver 1,200 meals to those in need and was named an MBE in the Queen’s most recent birthday honors for his acts of service to the community. From this connection, he was invited to her funeral.
Imagine checking for Sophie of all people? I mean, maybe this guy has no connection to Sophie and he was genuinely impressed by her stoic-yet-warm energy at the funeral. But it’s sus, right? These are the exact talking points that Sophie wants out there, that she’s the glue holding the Windsors together, that she has the right blend of cold duty and appropriate-sympathy for white people.
I also found it curious that Sophie was basically “assigned” to stay close to the Duchess of Sussex. Sophie and Meghan traveled to all of the big events together, they walked into the Abbey together, and yet Sophie made a point of not engaging with Meghan at all.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Catherine Princess of Wales, Camilla Queen Consort and Sophie Countess of Wessex The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, Service, Westminster Abbey, London, UK – 19 Sep 2022,Image: 724168474, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock / Avalon
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- Sophie Countess of Wessex and Forfar wipes away a tear as she is driven away from the Queen’s funeral service this afternoon.,Image: 724177361, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Steve Bainbridge / Avalon
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- Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London. Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Camilla Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess of Wales and Sophie Countess of Wessex.,Image: 724195093, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Adam Gerrard / Avalon
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- Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London. Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Camilla Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess of Wales and Sophie Countess of Wessex.,Image: 724195093, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Adam Gerrard / Avalon
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- Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Countess of Wessex At the State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Image: 724230983, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon
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- The Countess of Wessex arrives at the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire.,Image: 724269874, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
Sophie is possibly thee blandest of all the Windsor women. It was clear she rode with Meghan but didnt extend any pleasantries with her because she has to keep the Queen B happy. I hate seeing an ar** licking grown up.
Oh goodness, what a thirsty bunch of morons!!🙄🙄Somebody give them some water!!🙄
I wish you included the other pictures from this scene where sofa is glaring at Meghan -including 1 where Charlotte has noticed the death stare and looks scared… Sofa looks like a serial killer in those pics.
Sure Jan, Sophie and her B%tch Face are the glue holding the Windsors together.
This time it’s Sophie the glue. last time was Kate the peace maker because she was walking next to Harry on theur way out of the church. Bunch of clowns. Sophie is desperate. Now that the queen is no more, we’ll see her peddling a lot more. Does anybody favor her for anything?
This is absolutely hilarious. Girl, CHILL.
What’s Sophie’s goal in all this? Is it the stupid Duchess of Edinburgh title?
Because she already has cushy job visiting hospitals and smiling in ugly dresses all day. She gets to live for free in a $33M mansion. The press doesn’t demand access to her children or dirt on her marriage with dopey Edward.
She’s never struck me as shrewd or power hungry, so I don’t understand what she’s trying to get that she doesn’t already have.
I don’t understand Sophie but I don’t understand any of them. ITA that she’s got a cush job doing nice things and enjoying the fruits of it all without being a tabloid target. Buuuuut. . . she’s not necessarily guaranteed an ongoing cush job under KC, is she?
@bettyrose she’s not but if anything I figure H&M leaving guarantees her and Edward a spot, at least under Charles.
@Becks1 – But she’s probably still auditioning for that, no? Like *check me out, I did a good job keeping Meghan in line/improving the optics of us being “gracious” *
I think Sophie is thinking of her son. Her two kids are not royal despite Sophie claiming they can “choose” to be when they turn 18. Because it’s not up to the kids, 18 years old or not. It’s up to the monarch, and the last expression of the monarch’s will was when Elizabeth said back in 1997 that Ed’s kids will NOT be styled children of a prince, but children of an Earl. So it would take Charles (or eventually William) to give them royal status.
Plus, when Ed eventually dies, his son will currently inherit his earldom. But if Ed were to be named Duke of Edinburgh, then James can be a Duke upon Ed’s death, and not just an Earl (non-royal rank is Duke, then Marquess, then Earl, then Viscount, then Baron) . So I think Sophie’s concern is how to get higher ranks for her kids.
Sophie is no longer daughter in law to the monarch but sister in law to the monarch, which is less certain, especially when Charles didn’t want the Wessexes as part of the slimmed down monarchy. At the last jubilee it was only Charles and his children with the queen on the balcony.
Sophie is trying to stay on the working royal list until retirement.
To be fair she has done a larger number of engagements than W and K combined, but her position is weaker now under Charles III
There is no doubt that Sophie was auditioning for some future role; Duchess of Edinburgh is a safe bet. Whatever happened she was ready for her close-up.
Sopie should be careful in case K gets tired of her.
Is K for KC3 or for PoW-K? Either way, 1. Everyone needs to be watching their back and 2. Your post actually gave me a bit of a chill. PoW-K is now only a heartbeat away from being QC. It might not happen for decades or ever, but it could happen at any time and every woman in the land needs to watch her back at that point from what we’ve seen.
“I tell you what Gove’nah, she is a feisty one she is. But I don’t mind tellin ya that I set her straight, no, not in the least, as it’s the Kings duty, ya nohw. O’y she knows her duty, working, no moore tellin’ tales of how she ‘s the glued of my reines, she’d not about to shurly glue, that is the truth Gove’nah, it’s me’ wife, I say!”
(All in the voice of Audrey Hepburns father in My Fair Lady..)
PS, someone had better alert Sophiesta as this is K’s territory, not hers. She had better grow eyes in the back of her head as well.
LMAO! I love My Fair Lady, and Elizas dad was a hilarious character!
No one was the glue that held the family together. They all understood the assignment and showed up appropriately. Sophie is so bad at PR.
The only glue I saw was the glue that kept that truly ugly hat on her forehead.
@MeganC Lol wasnt she some PR guru before ?
Agreed! I was so underwhelmed with these embiggening articles. I read the headlines and thought Sophie was on the phone with Scotland Yard and going over logistics in the days before the funeral, but it sounds like she just handed out tissues? I mean sure it helps, but what a way to oversell what someone did!
Sophie wants to be the Royal Handmaid, but she hasn’t the emotional intelligence.
Let the PR battles begin!!!
Real Housewives of Buckingham Palace.
@Aiglentine
Brilliant! Someone should write a show “Real Housewives of Buckingham Palace.”
It would make a very entertaining series. It would be a great dark comedy.
Isn’t that “The Windsors” on Netflix LOL
“Sophie was basically “assigned” to stay close to the Duchess of Sussex”
Hmmm, not sure if it was assignment so much as “rank”. Camilla and Katie, then Meghan and Sophie (in another timeline if rank held, it would have been Meghan and Fergie!). Princess Anne’s husband didn’t figure in because he walks with the men folk (🙄. Glad Princess Anne stuck it to this silly institution a bit and did the walk).
Don’t get me wrong though, I am sure Sophie was very VERY encouraging of Meghan returning home to California as soon as possible. For the children of course, not because of attention she draws, no of course not. 😒
It’s how it’s been portrayed in the press. Sophie has also let it be known that she has been looking out for Meghan. I don’t believe it but anything to get her name in the press.
The Oprah comment said it all about Sophie’s opinion of Harry and Meghan. The casual snark and the eye rolling.
And aside from wanting attention, Sophie knows which side her financial bread is buttered on…. Edward’s attempts at a real profession were disastrous, and Sophie got busted for yapping at her day job. So, they are both financially dependent on the monarchy.
Charles was hoping that the Sussexes would fall flat on their faces into this kind of financial dependency. But he’s stuck with the Wessexes….
It was a huge production.
They all got thru it.
The same as the rest of us when we lose our loved ones.
Just get thru it.
I lost my best friend when we were 40. Sitting with her twin chanting just get through it, before the funeral.
This guy was also talking about how supportive Harry was to Meghan during the funeral. Was he contracted by People to be their spy at the wedding?
In order for his comments to make news, he has to add something in about Harry and Meghan. Just Sophie won’t generate the interest.
The Plastics. I can’t unsee it now.
And she put her arm around people! God the bar is SO LOW.
Right? Human being acts human at funeral. News at eleven.
Her PR campaign after Phillip’s death was pretty over the top, I see the criticism has not deterred her from doing it again. What a sad life to live, constantly jockeying for position and favor.
So is putting her arm around people a breach of “protocol”?
“You can’t sit with us!”
Shrugs. I’ll sit over here in my estate on the ocean with a handsome prince and beautiful children.
While I was watching the funeral, switching between channels when British commentators won’t shut up.I heard and I can’t remember which one was telling the American host on the show who Sophie was. I thought it was hilarious that people just don’t know her, some in the uk and definitely everyone else in the rest of the world seriously don’t know who Sophie is.
Lol I have family member (U.S.) who casually follow the royals and they only know Sophie as “the one who looked a bit like princess Diana.”
“Keeping” everyone together? In order to “keep” them so, they would have to have been “together” in the first place, no?
Every single member of this family is out for themselves.
This is interesting because while I’m sure it’s the case she exchanged pleasantries with mourners and maybe hugged some family, all I remember of Sophie from the funeral proceedings is a truly sour looking resting bitch face. It’s no wonder she’s putting out PR about how warm and strong she is.
I thought Sophie was “assigned” to Meghan so that the QC and Kate could ride together, as wives of the king and the heir, and maybe she wasn’t pleased.
Which is dumb, because the cameras found Meg wherever she was, and you’d think if Sophie really wanted to raise her profile, she could have leaned in and at least made some small talk with M.
But it’s funny to see Sophie and Kate vie so darn hard for the imaginary “princess of our hearts, keen peacemaker” championship belt. It’s like oatmeal vs oatmeal.
Lol, well said.
Vying for the title, with the opening move being to slap on an icy spur prune face when they step out in public.
Hmm, maybe they should consider regrouping and coming up with a better opening move.
Good heavens, this family is tedious.
This monarchy is doomed, lol. Bland, Pale and Stale. Literally no one cares for Sophie or Edward at all. It must suck trying to play both sides like she was doing this past week with her Sussex leaks and still no one cares. Not even the press care.
Getting some Lady MacBeth energy from old Sophie.
Didn’t she try this after Prince Phillip passed away also? Didn’t work then and it won’t work now. It reeks of desperation.
Yup she did. Remember the whole “its what Philip would have wanted” LOL.
Yeah Sophie definitely got this person to deliver these quotes about her (or else he was spoon-fed them by People mag.) Why the hell is People even talking about Sophie? Most Americans have no clue who she is.
Did she really hug three or four people at a funeral??? Why so many? Why not just one? I can’t be sure, but at my grandma’s funeral, scores were hugging on me as I was dazed and confused lol. I’m sure they were lovely people.
I used to buy Sophie’s PR and thought she would be the woman in the family Meghan could go to as someone who had actually had a career and does seem actively invested in the charity work. I should have been able to guess that someone incompetent enough in PR to get caught in a tabloid scam would actually resent Meghan though.
I used to see her as a somewhat warm person; she seems to have a bit of genuine sparkle at times, and I could see why TQ liked her. Now all I can see is a hatchet-faced mean girl who will run over anyone she has to to keep the money coming in. And from how she dresses, it’s a pretty dire situation. I hope she can stop cutting up the sofa slipcovers to make dresses soon.
Sophie is disappointing. I expected more from her. Maybe (aside from other things) she was jealous of Meghan’s relationship with Liz and wanted to be the only in law close to her. She didn’t have to worry about KKKate being close to Liz.
The bar is so low that simple acts of human kindness has been elevated to indicate character.
Welcome to the King Charles 111 era.
Since the Sussexes are no longer part of the gang, they found the initiation gruesome.
Sophie’s promotion became automatic, she is better at the job than Kate who never puts a foot wrong, since she never moves. /s
Do they really think that a lot of people will continue to care after that display after the Queen died??
Incredulous.
He was also quoted elsewhere talking about Harry and Meghan being supportive of one another. I don’t think Sophie put him up to this. I think he’s just telling outlets (GMB, CNN) what he observed of different people. https://people.com/royals/funeral-guest-reveals-prince-harry-sweet-gesture-meghan-markle/
I cannot believe Sophie ever worked in PR, she is just so bad at it, People should remember the awful things she said about the family in the past including the queen and Diana. Meghan is so caring yet didn’t feel comfortable reaching out to her in the car when she appeared to be crying, that spoke volumes.
Nobody did it better than Meghan. Full stop.
My mother reminded me that when Sophie first started with Edward she looked a lot like and was compared to Diana. In looks they were similar but in behavior and personality they were very different. Sophie according to my mother pursued Edward much like Kate did William. Pulling focus from a funeral is on par with how she’s always been.
@ML – I remember Sophie coming on the scene and that’s what I always think of till this day. She really came across like a Diana copycat and it was awkward. She failed spectacularly.
I will give her credit for one thing re this funeral. I like that her and Edward didn’t push James forward. He didn’t walk in the procession even though as a grandson he could have joined his cousins and at the vigil Sophie and Edward went there and were a very visible support for their children.
Uhm so she hugged a few people at a funeral. You don’t get a biscuit for that, it’s like normal behavior. As for not engaging with Meghan, a) talking at the funeral would have made these ridiculous people clutch all their pearls. “Oh they have no respect, blah,blah,blah”. Why would Meghan say anything aside from polite greetings when alone with anyone in the family. When you don’t say anything, no one can lie about it/ twist it later.
Embiggening of sophie
I don’t know why this comment made me laugh so much, but thanks for the giggle. It’s just that…who is the audience for this? For any of this? Is there anybody on the fence about Sophie at all? She generates no interest, she is old-fashioned, she is poorly dressed and tacky. It’s so desperate, and the funniest thing about it is that she seems to be pursuing all of this on her own. At least Carole Middleton seemed to have convinced Kate, Pippa, and James to get in on the self-aggrandizing during their earliest ploys at gaining attention/interest. By contrast, Louise, James, and Edward don’t seem to want attention at all.
Oh? All I saw was a sour dishrag face and her giving everyone the stink-eye. That’s all I got from her. She’s a snobbish mean girl not unlike Kate.
We’ve seen the photos of you and Meghan together Sophie. There’s an invisible iceberg between the two of you in the car shots, and nary a kind look or word in public.
Cosign!
Sophie is the same age as VP Kamala Harris. Just think about the difference in resume and accomplishment. This is the best of what the royal family has to represent themselves on the world stage. They really had someone special in Meghan and they grossly mistreated her. Sophie once again positioning herself as the rock, which she isn’t. Notice they never mention damp squib Edward in any of these Sophie the great stories.
Why is Mr. Bhanot, an attorney, gabbing about all of this? It seems like he’s acted generously and compassionately in the past, but now anyone googling his name will see he is on record as a big gossip. If I was in the UK, this would make me so much less likely to hire him because of his terrible judgment.
Bahahahahahahahahahahahah….deep breath…..hahahahhahhahahahahahaha.
Good grief. These people are pathetic. All this jockeying for attention and positions in that pathetic court – and money and perks are very much part of it.
Sick.
Harry and Meghan absolutely are in a better place and position in life.
Sophie would be really pretty if she didn’t have that constant scowl/resting b*tch face.
I guess Edward and Sophie are anxious about Edinburgh title
Wow, so now Sophie is the glue? I thought it was Kate? The royals are always like glue when they want to embiggen themselves. Please.
This is basically just Sophie trying to act like she’s so important to the family therefore she shouldn’t be cut off from being a working royal. It’s transparent as hell. Along with all her other briefings.
You sound like it’s a one way process. They left Jan. 2020. Stay with that nasty sexist term. I wouldn’t put too much faith in clout chasing Sophie, who’ll be getting scraps from Chuck’s and Will’s table, no matter how she’s trying to spin herself. Meghan has seen the worst of their behavior up close and personal.
So pathetic, boring bunch of nobodies
“Smiling in ugly dresses” best job description ever! I died.
Sophie also has a pretty damn mean face. God, this family must have horse AND rottweiler in their gene pool– married-ins or not.
She’d cut a bitch. She IS a bitch.
Sophie showed her social skills at the Commonwealth service in March 2020. She allowed herself to be part of the mean girls versus Meghan, and I don’t recall seeing her and Meghan converse since that day.
She is an odd fit, and it will be interesting to see how KC3 uses her and Edward. The relationship between the King and the Wessexes always seems to be cordial. Edward and Sophie tend to gravitate toward Will and Kate.
What I admired most about Meghan during this game show is other than the walkabout, she did minimal talking to anyone other than her husband. She nor Harry gave the lip readers or the palace sources much ammunition.
The attorney has a royal medal, so his position among the family was not coincidental. He was on assignment.
Sofiesta better watch her back. Waity is not going to be happy about her muscling in on the whole “lynchpin of the monarchy” PR angle. Although, going by this version of events, maybe Sophie is trying to live (a little too literally) by the adage, keep your friend close, lmao.