Shock family feud DIANA & SOPHIE'S BITTER PAST

The late princess called her a mini-me, but the duchess stood her ground

- Judy Kean

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is one of the most beloved and respected members of the royal family, greatly appreciated by the King for her tireless work in support of the monarchy.

But it's now been revealed that when she first became the girlfriend of Prince Edward, there was one member of The Firm who wasn't very welcoming.

That was Princess Diana, and according to a new biography of the duchess, Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, the pair had a feud that has, until now, been kept under wraps. Author Sean Smith says Sophie's friends told him there was "no love lost" between the two women.

"They did not like each other," claims Sean, who says the tension between them was partly due to Diana being annoyed by how much Sophie, now 60, looked like her. When she saw the younger woman, she'd say, "Oh, look, here comes my double", or, "Here comes Miss Goody Two Shoes."

She also described Sophie to staff as the woman who would be replacing her in the royal family.

Diana was separated from Prince Charles by the time PR executive Sophie Rhys-Jones began dating Edward, now 61, in 1993.

However, the princess still moved in royal circles due to her sons Princes William and Harry, and occasionally crossed paths with Sophie, who lived with Edward in an apartment at Buckingham Palace before their 1999 marriage.