Meghan Markle and the Duchess of Edinburgh could have been powerful assets for the monarchy if the Duchess of Sussex had stayed inside the firm, a royal author has claimed.
Veteran royal author Sean Smith has penned the new book, Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, about the Duchess of Edinburgh’s time in the royal family.
According to Mr Smith, Sophie is the hidden weapon for the monarchy thanks to her quiet, hard work and “relatable” middle class background.
“People are beginning to appreciate Sophie much more,” he told SkyNews.com.au.
“She’s very impressive in the way she speaks and sounds like a normal person.”
In the book, Mr Smith charts Sophie’s rise from a middle class upbringing in Kent to becoming one of the UK’s most popular royals.
Sophie, 60, married Prince Edward in 1999, and has steadily become the royal family’s hardest working member behind only Princess Anne.
Both Sophie and Edward initially maintained professional careers after their marriage but became full time working royals after several tabloid controversies.
Notoriously, Sophie was caught on tape making disparaging remarks about several public figures in a sting operation by an undercover journalist posing as a public relations client.
Meanwhile, Edward was criticised for appearing to breach his nephew Prince William’s privacy while making a documentary for his production company.
The couple’s attempt – and apparent failure – to juggle both professional and royal duties was likely front of mind two decades later when the Sussexes announced their own plans to “step back”.
It is understood that the late Queen Elizabeth II rejected any suggestion that Harry and Meghan could be “half in”, precipitating the couple’s move to California and present estrangement for the family.
Where Sophie and Edward resigned themselves to lives of service, Meghan and Harry opted for the bright lights of California.
Mr Smith hesitated to dwell on the parallels between the Sussexes and Edinburghs’ lives, but does hint at what could have been.
The author believes the Duchess of Edinburgh, who has won acclaim for her work with women’s charities, could have been a powerful double act with Markle.
“(Meghan) was a serious person before she became a soap opera,” he said, pointing out that Markle had worked as a UN Women’s Advocate for Political Participation and Leadership years before meeting Harry.
Instead, the Sussexes opted to pursue commercial ventures, with Markle now devoting much of her time to promoting her lifestyle brand.
Meanwhile, Sophie has continued to champion causes like preventing sexual violence in conflict and women’s education in the developing world.
For her work in the field, the Duchess of Edinburgh was awarded the 2022 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award.
Sophie: Saving the Royal Family: the new 2025 biography of the Duchess of Edinburgh by bestselling author Sean Smith is out now.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
