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<\/p>\nA new documentary has explored how the Duchess of Edinburgh helped the Princess of Wales when she became part of the Royal Family by supporting her through her royal duties<\/p>\n
07:18, 16 May 2026Updated 07:20, 16 May 2026<\/p>\n
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Duchess Sophie was instrumental in showing Kate the ropes as she stepped into her royal role after marrying Prince William(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
When Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh<\/a>, married into the Royal Family in 1999 after tying the knot with Prince Edward<\/a>, she was thrown in the deep end as she worked to maintain her newfound royal identity and her career in public relations.<\/p>\n But as the Duchess transitioned into a more full-time role within the monarchy, she quickly became a guiding light for the younger generation of royals to follow her lead as she undertook her work with the Firm with grace. And a new documentary has explored Sophie\u2019s life from the early days of her relationship with the late Queen\u2019s<\/a> youngest son, to one of the Royal Family<\/a> \u2019s most valuable assets.<\/p>\n READ MORE: King Charles makes candid joke about ageing at Buckingham Palace garden party<\/a>READ MORE: Meghan Markle ‘planning TV comeback’ with Suits revival role<\/a> The Princess of Wales and Duchess Sophie(Image: Max Mumby\/Indigo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n In the new documentary, titled Royal Peacemaker: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, a group of royal experts discuss how Sophie became a shoulder for the Princess of Wales<\/a> to lean on as she learned the ropes of her new royal role.<\/p>\n As Sophie\u2019s prominence has risen over the years, she has become more of a guide to others joining the Royal Family, such as Princess Kate<\/a>. Royal commentator Emily Andrews explained: \u201cWhen she saw younger members marrying into the Royal Family, like Catherine Middleton and Meghan Markle, she was very happy to offer to be a mentor of sorts. Sophie had seen it all. She\u2019s been there and done that.\u201d<\/p>\n The documentary said that Princess Kate in particular was very welcoming of the mentorship from Sophie, who welcomed her with open arms into the Firm.<\/p>\n Sophie became a mentor for Kate when she joined the Royal Family(Image: POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n \u201cSophie is really a natural mentor for Kate in many ways,\u201d royal correspondent Victoria Murphy said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen their relationship grow over time, and witnessed little glimpses of it in the public domain.\u201d<\/p>\n The royal expert went on to recall one such moment from Princess Eugenie\u2019s wedding, when Kate\u2019s skirt began to fly up in the wind, with Sophie instinctively helping the princess to keep her dress down, standing in front of her to make sure she was covered.<\/p>\n Victoria continued: \u201cWe\u2019ve seen her be quite protective of Kate. We saw this at the Remembrance Sunday Service in 2024 when they were walking back inside and Sophie put a comforting hand on Kate\u2019s back.”<\/p>\n Sophie displayed a ‘sisterly gesture’ to Kate on Remembrance Sunday 2024(Image: PA)<\/p>\n \u201cIt was quite a sisterly gesture, and I think shows the depth of the relationship that these two women have,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n While Sophie was a welcome mentor for the Princess of Wales in her early years in the Firm, Meghan Markle<\/a> allegedly turned down the offer of royal advice from the Duchess of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n As Emily Edwards explained in the documentary: “Sophie did the same thing for Meghan. They met up a couple of times and Sophie said \u2018Anything I can do, anything I can help with, let me know\u2019. And apparently Sophie was a bit surprised that she was never invited back to Frogmore Cottage<\/a> where Harry and Meghan were living at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n The two royal women have forged a strong relationship (Image: Jason Dawson\/JASONPIX)<\/p>\n Sophie\u2019s role as mentor for younger royals was a testament to the trust placed in the Duchess by the late Queen Elizabeth, with whom she had a warm and loving relationship.<\/p>\n As Ailsa Anderson, press secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, said in the documentary: \u201cI think the late Queen saw Sophie as a safe pair of hands, as she could always be relied on. Sophie was a true confidant for the Queen, which is quite rare in the royal world<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal Peacemaker: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh will air on Channel 5 on Saturday May 16 at 9pm.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal<\/p>\n WHATSAPP GROUP: <\/strong>Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.<\/a><\/p>\n We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6_Duchess-Sophie-and-Princess-Kate-looking-at-each-other-smiling.jpg\")
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