Diana and Sophie, Countess of Wessex

[the1mcgraws]

Originally Posted by acdc1

So it is definate that Diana and Sophie did know each other?

Diana and Sophie looked like because they were cousins in the same way she was with the Duchess of York and Prince Charles himself. In August 2007, the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, Massachusetts, published Richard K. Evans's The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales, for Twelve Generations, a comprehensive account of the Princess's forebears in all lines, including:

• James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, an ancestor of Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
• William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, an ancestor of Charles, Prince of Wales
• Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth, an ancestor of Sophie, Countess of Wessex

It certainly explains the eery similiarity with Sophie.

[Skydragon]

I think you are stretching here, Viscount Molesworth was born in 1656, to claim similarities through that tenuous connection means that very many members of the public should also look like Sophie! Diana was not a full cousin to Charles or Sarah. Most of us could probably claim to be a cousin 36 times removed to a cousin 24 times removed!

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by the1mcgraws

• James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, an ancestor of Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
• William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, an ancestor of Charles, Prince of Wales
• Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth, an ancestor of Sophie, Countess of Wessex

It certainly explains the eery similiarity with Sophie.

Shouldn't you look for female ancestors for both Sophie and Diana share a definately female look? The Duchess of Abercorn, the Duchess of Devonshire or Viscountess Molesworth come immediately to mind?

Edit: before anyone feels the need to send me a PM: Yes, I am sure these ladies existed because I doubt the three gentleman named above produced their children singlehanded...

[Mermaid1962]

Sometimes quite distant cousins can share a resemblance.

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I think you are stretching here, Viscount Molesworth was born in 1656, to claim similarities through that tenuous connection means that very many members of the public should also look like Sophie! Diana was not a full cousin to Charles or Sarah. Most of us could probably claim to be a cousin 36 times removed to a cousin 24 times removed!

[iowabelle]

Originally Posted by the1mcgraws

Diana and Sophie looked like because they were cousins in the same way she was with the Duchess of York and Prince Charles himself.

By that reasoning Diana should have looked like the Duchess of York (and I should look like Camilla, my distant cousin, but I don't). My guess is that most English people (excluding recent immigrants) are related and if you mix up the DNA enough times, like a deck of cards, you'll get similarities, some of which are striking.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Sometimes quite distant cousins can share a resemblance.

True but 325 years apart, do we even have an accurate portrait from such a time, were they not all prettied up?

[Claire]

When I was in England earlier this year, I noted how all the men and all the women look the same. I put in down to cultural distinctions. I saw hundreds of women that looked like Diana and Sophie, roughtly albeit. But makeup and hair stylist many could do either.

[TheTruth]

Well when newspapers started to compare Kate and Diana, who have absolutely nothing alike (or just the height), it showed how everybody tries to compare anyone to Diana (another example : Carla Bruni during her trip to England).

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by iowabelle

By that reasoning Diana should have looked like the Duchess of York (and I should look like Camilla, my distant cousin, but I don't). My guess is that most English people (excluding recent immigrants) are related and if you mix up the DNA enough times, like a deck of cards, you'll get similarities, some of which are striking.

The DNAs weren´t that mixed up, it is really only fairly recently that nobility married out of nobility. And royalty married royalty. Most were very closely related for hundreds and hundreds of years.
About family resemblance, if you have ever visited the Duke of Bedford´s stately home and looked at the family portraits you will see that for some hundreds of years the male members of the family were very alike and the Dukedom didn´t always go from father to son.
When Prince Edward first appeared with Sophie I quite often thought that the photographs were of Princess Diana and only after looking closely could I see the difference. Different figures and style of dressing but their faces are
very alike.

[Duchess]

it's interesing what people see. i never have seen even the smallest resemblance between sophie and diana other than hair colour.

[Mermaid1962]

I notice the resemblance most if a picture is taken from the side or at a distance. Like Diana, Sophie has a not-button-like nose (how's that for diplomacy) and a pointy chin.

Originally Posted by Duchess

it's interesing what people see. i never have seen even the smallest resemblance between sophie and diana other than hair colour.

[agogo]

Tall and blonde with similar facial features. That is it. The did not even know one another did they? Think about comparisons; Princess Mary and Marie of Demnark. Princess Grace and Charlene. People always awant to draw comparisons and measure one princess against the other.

[Mermaid1962]

There are pictures where Sophie does look like Diana. They did meet on at least a couple of occasions. Once was tea with the Queen, and the other was at a wedding in London--either Viscount Linley's or Lady Sarah Chatto's. In fact, there's a picture taken of Diana and Sophie very close together.

[Lumutqueen]

People do always want to draw comparisons and they shouldn't because every body is different, they may look similar, but that is probably the furthest it goes.
In some ways I feel sorry for Sophie, because she came into the family as Diana was leaving, this would have created a "princess replacing a princess" comparison.

[EllieCat]

Tall and blonde with similar facial features. That is it.

Sophie's not too tall, only around 5.5. Diana was really tall, that's for sure.

[Lumutqueen]

Diana was 5'10.

[NoorMeansLight]

I never thought these two women look alike. Comparisons and speculation on their relationship are for the press to sell papers IMO.

[vittoria]

Any time you travel to a given country -- and I lived in Europe and have traveled pretty widely, so I've had this experience often -- you'll note that its people often seem to have a certain "look". Closer observation and analysis will reveal that they don't all look alike, but there are usually enough of them who seem to that the phenomenon will appear to be quite striking. The UK is a smallish island nation; I wouldn't be surprised to learn that its inhabitants share much more of their DNA than those of some other nations do. Geneticist Brian Sykes, who has done much work on British historical DNA analysis, would probably have some interesting comments on this subject.

[Mermaid1962]

Interesting you should say that, Vittoria. My mother mentioned to a well-traveled friend about how a lady of English descent whom they both knew who"looks like Lady Diana." The well-traveled friend replied, "There are a lot of 'Lady Dianas in Britain." I come from a place that's made up mostly of Scots immigrants. A friend from Toronto visited and said, "I can't believe this. Everybody looks the same."

Originally Posted by vittoria

-- you'll note that its people often seem to have a certain "look". Closer observation and analysis will reveal that they don't all look alike, but there are usually enough of them who seem to that the phenomenon will appear to be quite striking.

[Hissy]

Hello everyone this is my first post.

I just read this entire thread and I can sum up my opinion simply.

S Wessex tried to look,dress, gesture, pose like Diana and continued this for a while. I am sure it would utterly drive Diana crazy. If S Wessex actually thought that anybody on the planet thought she was replacing Diana she would have to be delusional. It is not like she was marrying Prince Charles.

I used to like Prince Edward but don't really know what he's up to now. I think the basic person on the street would have little clue who she was, especially in US. I just can't warm up to anybody who plots to get into a royal marriage. Copying Diana was her thing to be noticed I believe.