Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh today celebrated 27 years since their engagement was revealed to the public, marking one of the most enduring unions within the modern Royal Family.
On January 6, 1999, the couple stepped into the gardens of St James’s Palace to share their news, with Sophie proudly displaying her engagement ring.
Their lasting partnership stands in notable contrast to the marital difficulties experienced by Edward’s siblings.
King Charles, Princess Anne and the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have all seen their marriages end in divorce.
Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward celebrate anniversary of huge announcement
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Royal commentator Ingrid Seward has attributed the couple’s success to their lengthy courtship, suggesting to the BBC that their five-year relationship before marriage allowed them to discover “anything they didn’t like about each other.”
The proposal itself came as a complete surprise to Sophie, despite the couple having been together since 1993.
Shortly before Christmas 1998, Edward arranged a secret romantic escape to the Caribbean, booking Hamilton House, a secluded four-bedroom beachfront villa on the remote Bahamian island of Eleuthera.
After two sun-drenched days in paradise, the prince chose a candlelit dinner to ask for Sophie’s hand in marriage.
The Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward announced their engagement in 1999
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Royal biographer Sean Smith, writing in Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, described the moment as a “gallant proposal” that left Sophie utterly taken aback.
“Sophie was stunned and could scarcely speak the word ‘yes’ before finding her voice and replying, ‘Yes, please!'” Mr Smith recounted.
The couple then returned to Britain on December 23, separating to spend Christmas with their respective families.
Edward joined the Royal Family at Sandringham, whilst Sophie returned to her family home in Brenchley, with the pair agreeing to keep their engagement under wraps until the new year.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh on their wedding day in 1999 | PA
What made the proposal particularly unconventional was the timing of Edward’s request for parental blessing.
Rather than seeking permission beforehand, the prince only formally asked Sophie’s father, Christopher Rhys-Jones, for her hand in marriage on January 6.
The couple had intended to control the announcement themselves, but their plans were thwarted when The Sun published a front-page story on the very morning of the planned reveal, much to Edward’s frustration.
Buckingham Palace swiftly issued an official confirmation, stating that “the couple sought the permission of their respective parents between Christmas and New Year” and that “both families are thrilled at the news.”
Edward himself acknowledged the lengthy wait when speaking to reporters at St James’s Palace that afternoon.
Prince Edward and Sophie are two of the hardest-working royals | GETTY
“It’s impossible to understand why it has taken me this long, but I don’t think it would have been right before, and I don’t think she would have said yes,” he admitted.
Sophie, then 33, expressed confidence about her future role despite any apprehension.
“It is slightly nerve-racking in many ways, but I am ready for it now,” she told the gathered press. “I’m fully aware of the responsibilities and commitments, and I think now I am ready.”
The couple wed at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, on June 19, 1999, with some 200 million viewers watching the televised ceremony.
More than 26 years on, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh remain happily married, sharing two children and continuing to reside at their beloved Bagshot Park home in Surrey.