Duchess Sophie Admits She's Made This Faux Pas "On More Than One Occasion" and Got a "Look" From Queen Elizabeth

The Duchess of Edinburgh called this part of royal life "terrifying."

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A split of Duchess Sophie wearing a blue top looking to the left and Queen Elizabeth wearing a green hat and coat scowling
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Duchess Sophie shared a close relationship with her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, but that didn’t stop the late Queen from making her displeasure known once in a while. In the 2013 ITV documentary Our Queen, the Duchess of Edinburgh recalled one such incident at a glamorous state banquet.

Sophie has been married to the late Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, since 1999, but said there are still moments when she’s caught off guard at royal events.

"The moment you go into a ballroom at Buckingham Palace it's terrifying,” Sophie admitted. “You see a wall of people and you then think, 'Oh help, I've got to find my chair.'" During one banquet, the duchess managed to hold up the proceedings when she couldn’t figure out where to go.

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Duchess Sophie wearing a white dress leaning over to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a sparkling blue dress

Duchess Sophie chats with Queen Elizabeth at a Buckingham Palace reception in 2019.

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Queen Elizabeth sitting next to Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie are pictured at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022.

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The Duchess of Edinburgh explained that she typically walks into the ballroom with a guest “who's never visited before,” which puts extra pressure on. “I have to say on more than one occasion I’ve managed to sit in the wrong seat,” she revealed.

However, when she was looking for her place at the table one time, Queen Elizabeth was waiting to begin an important task. “I shan't forget the look that I got when I couldn't find my chair and [the late Queen] was looking to do her speech,” Sophie said. "I decided I might study my notes a little more carefully next time."

Even though she got a Paddington-style hard stare, Duchess Sophie remained one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite family members. Speaking to OK! magazine about their relationship, Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward said, "With the exception of her daughter Anne, the Queen was closer to Sophie than any of the other royal women. It really was a genuine closeness, and Elizabeth was always Sophie's biggest confidante."

Kristin Contino
Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.