Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, are celebrating 21 years of wedded bliss. The couple were married on June 19, 1999, amid a relatively low-key royal wedding, after dating for five years.
Tatler shared throwback photos of that momentous and happy day to celebrate the couple's longevity. The Earl and Countess of Wessex are the only ones from the Queen's children to never divorce and their life as royals remains pretty much private despite the royal spotlight.
Some of these family photos include a raving Queen Elizabeth in a lilac gown with matching hair ornament with a purple feather. There was also a photo of the brothers -- Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward -- walking together towards the church and waving to the crowd of well-wishers before the wedding started.
Prince William was 17 at that time, while Prince Harry was 15. They also had photos from the wedding, together with their cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who were barely in their teens
Prince Edward and Sophie started dating in 1993 in secret, due to his status. Though he pretty much enjoyed privacy as the Queen's youngest child and not the heir to the throne, Prince Edward apparently know that royal romantic relationships can easily become fodder for the news thus he and Sophie had to careful.
Apparently, Prince Edward was not in a rush to get hitched even as he was turning 30 at that time. He and Sophie also had their own careers to grow into, with Prince Edward actually choosing not to take part as a working royal and instead formed his own production company.
But when he finally decided to get engaged to Sophie, she had to first meet the Queen and receive the approval. According to E! News, Queen Elizabeth really liked her future daughter-in-law from the very beginning. The Queen even allowed Sophie to stay with them at Buckingham Palace before she and Prince Edward exchanged vows.
Over the years, Sophie soon found her place in the royal family. Admittedly, in the beginning, the Countess of Wessex said that it's nerve-racking to think of her status but she's now fully aware of her responsibilities as a royal.
Recently, Sophie said in an interview that she had five years to adjust to the royal life because the duties can be overwhelming. But the Countess of Wessex said that she doesn't have expectations from herself so as not to fail into her role as a royal.
