From time to time, Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, takes on royal engagements on behalf of Queen Elizabeth. On Friday, Dec. 13, she will stand in for Her Majesty at an important event.
Sophie will represent Queen Elizabeth at the Sovereign's Parade in the Royal Military Academy. There are three Sovereign's Parades every year, and this special role for December will have the Countess of Wessex inspect the cadets who will eventually be taking part in the Trooping the Colour in June.
According to reports, the fact that Queen Elizabeth choose Sophie for this role is a significant sign of Her Majesty's trust. The countess and the Queen have a special relationship that some say Sophie is the Queen's favorite daughter-in-law.
Sophie and Prince Edward have been married since 1999 after a few years of dating. Royal experts say that Queen Elizabeth admires the enduring relationship between Prince Edward and Sophie as they are the only ones of her children who have not gotten a divorce.
Meanwhile, Prince Edward and Sophie recently hosted an early Christmas dinner at their home in Bagshot Park. According to Hello, the feast was also meant to help the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, where Prince Edward is a Trustee and the Women in Business Committee, which is chaired by Sophie.
Bagshot Park in Surrey has been the home of the Wessex family since they got married. It's where they raised their two young children Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and James, Viscount Severn, 11.
The two younger royals are also quite close to their grandmother and grandfather, Prince Philip. Prince Edward and Sophie are trying to raise their children as normal as possible despite their royal status and privilege.
Early that day, Prince Edward and Sophie joined Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William for a thanksgiving tribute for a family friend who recently died. Sir Donald Gosling was given the honors at the Westminster Abbey on Dec. 11, and the rest of the members of the royal family were also present, including Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, and Autumn Philips, the wife of Peter, Princess Anne's son.
Gosling ran a multi-million parking garage facility in the U.K. and helped charities and causes for the Royal Navy. According to People, he spent his downtimes going on shootings with Prince Charles and the late Lord Mountbatten, which was how their friendship developed.
