Kate Middleton and Prince William met with other members of the Firm on Tuesday, December 8. Meeting which Meghan Markle and Prince Harry did not attend.
On their return from their royal tour of the United Kingdom, a tour dedicated to frontline staff fighting the coronavirus pandemic and decried by taxpayers, Kate Middleton and Prince William made a stopover at Windsor Castle. There, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Her Majesty Elizabeth II, respecting the barrier gestures as shown in several snapshots, for an expected family reunion, the first since the onset of the health crisis. A warm reunion, nevertheless marked by the coronavirus (they took place outside the royal residence). On the other side of the Atlantic, and particularly in Los Angeles, Sussex is quietly making its own Christmas preparations.
In their place and alongside Kate Middleton, Prince William or Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles – the direct lineage to the British throne – Her Majesty Elizabeth II invited Sophie de Wessex and her younger son, Prince Edward. An entire family, although marked by the obvious absence of the Sussex, to meet local volunteers and workers on the front lines against coronavirus. It must be said that since the departure of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Earl, and more particularly the Countess of Wessex, who has long assumed the role of mentor to the former actress, have emerged as strong assets of the Firm.
I hope they will be happy
A meteoric rise for Sophie de Wessex. On all fronts, the mother of Louise and James Mountbatten-Windsor had ensured “81 official visits, out of a total of 236 engagements in 2019”. By January 2020, as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry flew to Canada (where they had celebrated Christmas and the New Year), Prince Edward’s wife took centre stage again, making a number of commitments, including a trip to South Sudan to combat sexual violence. A cause close to her heart: at a virtual summit with the United Nations in June 2020, she gave a poignant and committed speech on this subject.
But if she shines, making people forget the Fab Four, Sophie de Wessex assured that she had always been as involved in the work of the royal family. “People may be paying more attention to what I do, but I’m still as busy as I’ve always been,” she said in an interview with the Sunday Times. And while tensions are running high between Sussex and the monarchy, with the former Suits star accusing members of the firm of not supporting her in her most painful moments, Wessex’s Sophie is far from blaming Meghan Markle. “We all try to help any new member of the family,” she added. I just hope they’ll be happy,” she concluded.
Photo credits: Agency / Bestimage