Royal Expert Shares Late Queen's First Impression of Sophie

Queen Elizabeth wears a lilac and white suit and waves from the Buckingham Palace balcony while standing with Prince Edward's wife Duchess Sophie

(Image credit: Ken Goff/Getty Images)

published 11 August 2025

It's no secret that Queen Elizabeth II reportedly considered her daughter-in-law, Duchess Sophie, to be her "true favorite." But according to one royal biographer, the late Queen's "first impression" of Prince Edward's wife, then-Sophie Rhys-Jones, was less complimentary. However, the former monarch's seemingly negative review of Duchess Sophie actually turned out to be a positive in the long run.

Celebrity biographer Sean Smith has written a new book all about the Duchess of Edinburgh, simply titled Sophie. In the forthcoming volume, Smith explored Sophie's very first visit to Windsor Castle, early on in her relationship with Prince Edward. According to Smith, via the Daily Mail, Elizabeth reportedly said of her son's future wife, "You wouldn't notice her in the crowd."

Smith also shared that Duchess Sophie prepared to meet her boyfriend's mother by receiving advice from Prince Edward's valet, Brian. According to the outlet, Brian wanted to help an "anxious" Sophie "avoid any of the common faux pas visitors encounter when meeting the royals for the first time."

Queen Elizabeth wearing a blue hat and coat and Duchess Sophie in a pink floral dress and hat at Royal Ascot — Duchess Sophie later became known as The Queen's "favorite."

Reflecting on the meeting, Smith wrote, "The big moment arrived. Edward introduced Sophie to The Queen and the brief handshake and curtsy were over in the blink of an eye: all that practicing at home had been worth it."

Although Queen Elizabeth reportedly suggested Sophie was someone "you wouldn't notice," this was apparently somewhat of a compliment. In particular, The Queen was allegedly on edge as multiple family members had turned out to be "tabloid gifts that kept on giving," Smith wrote. "It was greatly to Sophie's advantage to maintain a low profile."

Queen Elizabeth in a blue dress and Duchess Sophie in a white dress smiling at a reception in 2019 — "She could quietly establish herself as a dependable presence."

Duchess Sophie has since taken on more responsibility within the Royal Family, and has become a real fan favorite. But the Duchess of Edinburgh's subtle start only aided her relationship with the royals, and Queen Elizabeth, as time went on. "She would have to face intense media scrutiny in the future, but for the moment she could quietly establish herself as a dependable presence," Smith explained in the excerpt.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.