The Firm's New Ed Girl

With Harry & Meghan fleeing to LA, how royals’ ‘secret weapon’ Sophie Wessex has risen to be...

- Russell Myers

She has been described as the Royal Family’s “secret weapon” during the coronavirus crisis, quietly steadying the ship after a tumultuous period for The Firm.

But now there is more than a little excitement among Palace aides and charities alike that the “unassuming but selflessly dedicated” Sophie, Countess of Wessex, could fill the void left by Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry.

In the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quitting their royal roles to set up home in the US, the Queen appealed for calm and the return of a “back to basics” attitude among the family.

Her Majesty, 94, stressed the importance of the central theme of the monarchy – duty – which she has championed during her 68 years on the throne.

As patron to more than 70 organisations, Prince Edward’s wife is equally at home at a suburban primary school or the United Nations, campaigning to help British nurses or championing the rights of women and girls around the globe.

Courtiers praise her work ethic and admire how she managed to carve out a niche for herself in the family business after being caught up in an embarrassing scandal that rocked the royals.

The Countess was forced to step down as chairman of her public relations firm in 2001 after being recorded making disparaging comments about senior politicians to an undercover reporter.

Sophie, who had only been married to Prince Edward for two years, issued a grovelling apology after embarrassingly being accused of using her royal connections to manage a £20,000-a-month PR account for a Saudi prince.