Diana and Sophie, Countess of Wessex

[Claire]

I heard this story years ago back in 1993, but I put it aside as gossip, if I remember it was in the Daily Mirror. But I recently read both Paul Burrel and Andrew Morton recollect the story as well as a well known royal correspondent refered to it. That it certainly has elements of truth in it.

On 8 November 1993 Prince Edward arranged a date with Sophie Rhys-Jones. He had forgotten that he was due to have a late lunch with his parents. the Princess Royal and Tim Laurence at the same time, after the centarph service. Realising the mistake on the day he asked the Queen if he could bring Sophie to the lunch.
In the weeks that followed the Queen had related to the Queen Mother about Edward's girlfriend, famously refering to her as "unnoticable in a crowd,". She also spoke to his ladies in waiting and other famly members and friends. The Queen Mother desperately wanted to met Sophie and arranged a family lunch after Sunday service with the exact purpose.
After the lunch the Windsor men retired outside with their refreshment to overlook Prince Andrew's new car. When Diana arrived early returning William and Harry to their father and to spend time with the Queen. Leaving the boys by the men, Diana went inside, asking one of the couriers on the way if Sophie was with the Queen at the time, when they replied yes, she replied that she wanted to see who was replacing her.
By some accounts of the story Diana arrived when the Queen was going over the family album and in the middle of Princess Anne's story of something that happened while she was in Australia, while others note that Anne has already excused herself and was already on her way out.
Diana apparently say down besides Sophie and began what Princess Maragaret described as and interogation.

Diana commented about Sophie's skirt, saying it was nice for Marks and Spencers anyway and that must be expensive on her wages. She then stopped and asked with Sophie earned a salary rather. She then asked what Sophie's father did, when Sophie answered that he was retired, Diana replied that he must how be hard up for money. Apparently this is how it continued for almost half and hour, most of the questions revolved around how pooor and common Sophie was. Sophie then asked the Queen if she could leave and left the room. The Queen Mother apparantly told Diana off and when Diana tried to explain her behaviour, Princess Maragret remaked she had been a common b--ch, at which Diana left the room.

Upon leaving she ran into Andrew, Philip and Edward who were going upstairs, Diana told them that Sophie was not longer there. When the Duke of Edinburgh asked why she had left early, she answered that she was complaining of women problems and decided to leave. Edward went up to his apartment to find Sophie crying packing her things. He must have conviced her to stay as she didn't leave. The next day, the Queen and the Queen Mother apolgised for Diana's behavour.
Diana went home and phone Andrew Morton whom had already been told that Prince Edward had a new girlfriend and was eager for more information. She told him that Sophie was a carbon copy of her and that the monarchy were also grooming her to replace her.

 

[Duchess]

wow it sounds harsh! but coming from the mail...i'd be hard pressed to believe it if at all.

 

[Katrianna]

I hadn't heard or read about that story. I had read in Majesty magazine that Diana had "supposedly" remarked that she felt Sophie didn't know what she was letting herself in for, meaning getting close to the Royal Family. I read stories about Diana and other Windsors with a grain of salt especially the tabloids.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I would love to know who reported these supposed comments as it seems that the only people present were members of the RF?

Which one of them is supposed to have told on Diana and the others?

Diana could be a real 'bitch' from things that I have read about her and I do believe that she was perfectly capable of making these comments but whether she actually did or not I would like to see the source before passing final judgement.

This could easily be a 'made-up story' to blacken Diana's name or it could be completely true but without a verifiable source we should take the whole story with a grain of salt.

 

[Roslyn]

From what I've read, I, too believe Diana was perfectly capable of making those comments, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the incident were true, but I share Chrissy's desire for a verifiable source. Without a source, the story is just a story.

 

[Claire]

The incidents were reported in the Daily Mirror in December 1993, after the exclusive of the News of the World that Edward was going to marry unknown royal girlfriend, Sophie Rhys-Jones.
Recently if came to light again in Andrew Morton's book, Princess in Love pp.108-109. It was also refered to by Paul Burrell in an interview on American radio, it is possibly in her book, The way we were.
So it kind of comes down to who you believe.

 

[Avalon]

Apart from members of the Royal Family, servants would be there too. One of them could sell the story to Media.

I think Diana could have said that as well.
Not being a cruel person, she had sort of breakdown at those times and could have eadily regarded Sophie as Diana-substitute.

 

[xtan]

i find it hard to believe this story and also this story was hardly repeated in the news ... unlike others..

 

[blondie28]

I don't believe that one bit, but it does seem to me that Sophie wanted to be noticed more so she dressed like Diana.

 

[ysbel]

Apart from members of the Royal Family, servants would be there too. One of them could sell the story to Media.

I think Diana could have said that as well.
Not being a cruel person, she had sort of breakdown at those times and could have eadily regarded Sophie as Diana-substitute.

Well if Paul Burrell made the comment; he, as her butler, could have been there but we'd have to know more about it.

I'm not sure I believe everything that Burrell says though. I don't disbelieve everything he says, either. I would just have to see it in context with what else he said to see if the story made sense.

 

[TheTruth]

Like many said, without reliable sources we can't know if it's true. Diana was capable of doing things like that and had her up-and-down moods. If it's true, she perhaps wanted Sophie to be very careful of where she was going by dating someone so important as Prince Edward.

 

[Duchess]

I don't believe that one bit, but it does seem to me that Sophie wanted to be noticed more so she dressed like Diana.

i'm not sure she dressed like diana to be noticed. i think it's just a case of the two women having the same taste in clothing. if sophie wanted to get noticed she could have done it in any number of ways like insisting her and edward attend public events together. and here's another thought...why is that the press started this whole "does sophie want to be diana" thing just because they have the same hair colour and sense of style. why didn't they ever say "why did edward pick a girl that resembles diana" and lay that whole scenario at his feet? (not that i think diana and sophie resemble each other beyond the hair and clothes).

 

[TheTruth]

i'm not sure she dressed like diana to be noticed. i think it's just a case of the two women having the same taste in clothing. if sophie wanted to get noticed she could have done it in any number of ways like insisting her and edward attend public events together. and here's another thought...why is that the press started this whole "does sophie want to be diana" thing just because they have the same hair colour and sense of style. why didn't they ever say "why did edward pick a girl that resembles diana" and lay that whole scenario at his feet? (not that i think diana and sophie resemble each other beyond the hair and clothes).

Like most of the time, it's the press that causes tensions between people. They did the same thing to Sarah and Diana and that's why there was so much competition between the 2 women.

 

[selrahc4]

Like most of the time, it's the press that causes tensions between people. They did the same thing to Sarah and Diana and that's why there was so much competition between the 2 women.

Isn't it really the reaction of the individuals to the press attention that caused the "competition"? They could have chosen not to react in that way.

 

[TheTruth]

Isn't it really the reaction of the individuals to the press attention that caused the "competition"? They could have chosen not to react in that way.

Well yes but you always suspect your 'opponent' to have leaked into the press something that disavantage you. Know what I mean ?

 

[selrahc4]

Well yes but you always suspect your 'opponent' to have leaked into the press something that disavantage you. Know what I mean ?

Well, I suppose so...if you were already "opponents".

 

[TheTruth]

Well, I suppose so...if you were already "opponents".

As Diana thought most of the women around her could be a threat, she probably saw Sophie as an opponent before knowing her and the press did the rest.

 

[sirhon11234]

This story is interesting but I don't find it that believable.

 

[auntie]

The fact is that today, 13 years later, Sophie, who was common born and common bred is a popular part of the royal family. She represents the RF at many occasions fantastically, is well liked in GB and abroad. With all due respect to Diana and her memory, look at where she was before her death: adultry, love affairs, unstable personality and so on...It's the results that count at the end of the day, not the minor details.

 

[sirhon11234]

Auntie you only listed the negative aspects of Diana's life before her death. When one makes an assesment on someone they must list the positive and negative aspects of that person's life.

 

[xtan]

i find it hard to believe the story about diana being so rude to sophie in front of the queen. diana won't dare because it put herself in such a bad light and the queen would be more incline to support sophie and believe the worse of diana.

 

[xtan]

dear auntie, fact is that sophie made a geering remark to a fake sheik planted by one of the papers about all the negative aspeck of diana after she died. why must she do that to a person who died unless she is jealous of diana or that by highlighting diana negative aspect, she is making herself out to be a better person? its not very nice of her.

ps, she is not very popular among the people maybe only popluar with the queen

 

[acdc1]

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

 

[Claire]

dear auntie, fact is that sophie made a geering remark to a fake sheik planted by one of the papers about all the negative aspeck of diana after she died. why must she do that to a person who died unless she is jealous of diana or that by highlighting diana negative aspect, she is making herself out to be a better person? its not very nice of her.

ps, she is not very popular among the people maybe only popluar with the queen

I have read the transcript ot the Fake Skiek many times and have never ever come across Sophie dishing Diana. The only mention she makes of Diana is that that the men in Buckingham Palace wanted to make her the next Diana and that Edward and herself would not stand for it.
Actually I agree with everthing Sophie said to the Skiek, I'm sure the Queen is a darling and the Queen Mother such a dear. Having met Cherie Blair I totally agree and while, William Hague does look like a muppet.
You can read the transcript by searching on the News of the World site. A lot Sophie said has been misreported over the years.

 

[sydney00]

well i haven t read the full transcipt, i think i ll look for it now, but it was reportet in nearly every newspaper that sophie said, she will replace sophie, or like i read it then: diana left a place, she can take now. well, i cant verify it of course, and i don t want to defend diana, just sth i read.

well i ve searched for the transcript, but can t find because on the now page you can just search through the web? Oô. can you give me the word to look for, would be nice, thank you.

 

[Marino01]

She told him that Sophie was a carbon copy of her and that the monarchy were also grooming her to replace her

That does sound extremely harsh and who knows it could be true. But Diana was prone to jumped to conclusions. And I have no doubt that Princess Maragret had probably said some bad things to Princess Diana, but who is to know?

 

[PrincessofEurope]

was sophie at diana's funeral in a non-royal capacity of course? - she did attend the decommissioning of the royal yacht and the queen's golden wedding anniversary that year yet was not married or engaged to edward

 

[Claire]

No Sophie didn't attend. She felt it was inapproprate as she wasn't a member of the family nor a friend of Diana's.
There were also rumours at the time of her and Edward having a cooling off time. But Sophie was actually with Edward at Windsor when they found out about Diana's death.
I think that there was some problem with Sophie's resemblance to Diana. Apparently there was a bad encounter at a grocer with a Diana fan who accused her of killing Diana so she could replace her. Don't get it myself.

 

[Bella]

All Diana and Sophie shared in common as far as looks went was a similar short blonde hair style. Other than that, they looked absolutely nothing alike.

 

[zembla]

In the beginning everyone did assume Sophie was a carbon copy of Diana...but they are nothing alike. I believe that Diana had jealousy issues with most people for attention but no one every really topped her. I don't think they wanted to either...Sophie especially...