Prince Edward and Sophie are Royal Family’s ‘secret weapons’ as they celebrate 25 years of marriage

From the moment they married back in 1999, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s popularity has steadily increased.

Unlike the enormous royal weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their celebration was understated – with the couple going on to conduct their lives and relationship in a very similar vein.

Now, as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, Edward and Sophie are repeatedly being branded two of the Royal Family’s most important “secret weapons”.

Edward, 60, married Sophie Rhys-Jones, 59, in a low-key ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor on 19 June, 1999, and they’ve gone from strength to strength.

The way in which they approached their wedding, as well as how they’ve behaved in the years that have followed – despite being part of one of the world’s most famous families – has been an important factor in Edward and Sophie’s blossoming popularity, according to former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond.

“Understated, unshowy and as down-to-earth as you can be when you are born into the royal family. That’s how Edward and Sophie are today… and it’s how they were 25 years ago on their relatively understated wedding day at Windsor,” Jennie exclusively tells OK!.

Much of their well-deserved success lies in the duchess’ personality and her approach to life both in public and in private, according to Jennie. “Sophie is a natural, humble woman — clearly still very much in love with her husband — and a woman who has grown into her role without fuss or fanfare,” she says.

“Perhaps part of the secret of their successful marriage is that they spent five years in a relationship before tying the knot. And that was pretty unusual at the time.

“Sophie had seen at first hand the trauma of the Diana years, the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage, the Yorks’ divorce and Anne’s divorce and second marriage.

"It was probably quite courageous to become another royal bride! But, by the time they got married, both Edward and Sophie were mature enough to know that they were right for one another.”

The couple first met at London’s Capital Radio in 1987, but it wasn’t until six years later, when they bumped into each other at a charity tennis match, that their romance began. Edward proposed to Sophie on holiday in 1998, and they announced their engagement in January 1999.

They decided to make their wedding ceremony as “informal” as possible, asking guests to don evening attire and not to wear hats during the service.

However, this request was completely ignored by one stoic member of the family who was hardly ever seen without one of her trademark hats. True to form, The Queen Mother, then 98, turned up to the service in a large, lilac feathered number.

While Edward was smart wearing his morning suit, Sophie looked stunning in a gown designed by Samantha Shaw, accessorising her wedding look with the Anthemion tiara, which combined a number of Queen Elizabeth II’s own jewels.

Nowadays, the couple are the picture of duty and devotion – while also balancing their lives as parents to Lady Louise Windsor, 20, and 16-year-old James, Earl of Wessex – but that’s not to say they haven’t faced their fair share of heart-stopping moments over the years.

In Sophie’s 36th week of pregnancy with Lady Louise, which came a year after she had been airlifted to hospital with an ectopic pregnancy, she suffered severe internal pains and was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. There, doctors found her to be dangerously ill from blood loss and performed an emergency Caesarean section.

When Lady Louise was born she weighed 4lb 9oz, and spent two weeks in intensive care in a specialist neonatal unit at St George’s Hospital, South West London. As Sophie was too ill to be moved to be with her newborn daughter, the pair were separated during these earliest days.

The deaths of Sophie’s beloved mum, Mary Rhys-Jones, in 2005, as well as the sad passings of both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II also rocked the couple, but the love and support they give one another has triumphed over grief, with them growing even stronger together.

Their compassion for others is also evident, with Sophie reportedly reaching out to assist both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle as they stood on the cusp of crucial moments in their royal lives.

“Sophie has become one of the most loved members of the royal family, forging a deep and mutually affectionate relationship with both of her in-laws, the late Queen and Prince Philip,” Jennie explains, telling how Elizabeth II even regarded Sophie as a “second daughter”, after Princess Anne.

“Sophie is delightfully open about her love for her husband, she is close to Catherine and has no doubt been a great support to her in her health crisis.

“Even though a 17-year age gap seems a lot to bridge, the two women have a lot in common and became firm friends quite early on. Sophie knew exactly what lay in wait for Catherine as she joined the family and she knew it wouldn’t always be easy.

"By nature, Sophie is a kind and generous person who has always been happy to act as sounding board, mentor, confidante… or sometimes just another girl to share a giggle with. So I have no doubt that Sophie has been someone to whom Catherine has frequently turned.

“They’ve often been seen enjoying a private joke in public and certainly seem more like sisters than aunt and niece by marriage. Sophie has retained a girlishness about her, while Catherine – perhaps because of her very senior role in the family – sometimes seems mature beyond her years.

“I’m sure both Sophie and Edward would have been in close contact with William and Catherine throughout her illness, offering moral support as well as practical help by stepping up to take on extra royal duties while both she and the King recover.”

The warmth King Charles feels towards Sophie is clear to see as Jennie explains it’s Sophie’s understated nature that has made her such an important part of the family.

“She is seen as a safe pair of hands when carrying out her royal engagements either with the rest of the family or by herself.

"She doesn’t complain, she doesn’t demand, she just gets on with supporting the King when asked, and with pursuing her interests the rest of the time. She often does this under the radar, expecting no special treatment and is now absolutely part of the core working royals.”

When the duchess is not carrying out ceremonial duties, her main charitable areas of interest include supporting young people with disabilities, eradicating avoidable blindness, agriculture, fashion and the prevention of sexual violence in areas of conflict.

She has also carried out a number of solo tours to developing countries and war zones, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and, most recently, Ukraine.

In moments not governed by royal duty, she and Edward enjoy a quiet life at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their children – when they are home from school and university – and their three dogs, a labrador called Teal, cocker spaniel, Mole, and a labrador puppy, Teasel.

Reflecting on Edward and Sophie’s 25 years together, Jennie adds, “Sophie’s longstanding and loyal love for her man speaks volumes. They have a very secure marriage and seem to support one another in everything they do.”

The genuine love the couple have for one another is undeniable, as Sophie proved with a heartfelt speech to mark her husband’s 60th birthday in March.

Prompting Edward to wipe away tears, Sophie said, “Like my father-in-law, my husband never seeks compliments for himself. So when acknowledgment has come his way it has always been a total surprise to him, which is why I am grateful for this chance to, for once, be able to publicly celebrate and compliment him.

"He is the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and still is my best friend. So here’s to you my darling Edward and may I along with all your family and so many friends and many others wish you the happiest of birthdays!”

“In many ways Edward and Sophie have managed to be the most private of couples,” Jennie praises. “They look like a strong and stable team – but without being particularly tactile in public or showy – and the strength of their marriage speaks for itself.”