The Wessexes and Family General Chat

[TLLK]

Sophie's isolation ended on Friday 10/23/20 and since the Wessex children are on half-term break this upcoming week, it's expected that neither of the Wessexes will have any engagements.

Twitter

Countess Sophie?s 2 week quarantine ends Friday after she came into contact with someone who later tested positive for Coronavirus.

However, don?t expect to see her return to official engagements next week, as she & Edward will be off of duties for their kid?s half-term break.

[TLLK]

 :snowflake: The Wessex Year in Review ? Royal Central

It?s been a busy year for the Earl and Countess of Wessex. The couple, who normally operate with very little press coverage, have seen their roles transform this year with the departure of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex as full-time working royals.

This year the couple came more to the forefront with their royal duties. Edward and Sophie continued to champion their own individual causes: women?s rights, prevention of blindness, The Duke of Edinburgh?s Award, and other creative pursuits; but they also pivoted to supporting volunteers and frontline workers as the coronavirus pandemic came to the United Kingdom.

Let?s take a look back at the year in review for Edward and Sophie!

This blog site typically reviews royal years but will often focus upon the individual members of the British Royal Family. With many of the older members of the BRF were limited when it came to in-person engagements, I believe that the Wessexes were especially visible. Click on the link to read about the Wessexes' activities in 2020.

[LouisFerdinand]

I like the fact that in January Edward attended a concert and reception by the National Youth Orchestra. He is a patron of the Orchestra.   

:jensinging: :jensinging: :jensinging:

[TLLK]

I am honestly surprised and truly doubt that this was ever seriously considered for the Wessexes and the Princess Royal/Timothy Laurence.

Edward and Sophie follow in Anne?s footsteps with mooted move to Scotland ? Royal Central

Reports that the Earl and Countess of Wessex were being lined up as official royal residents in Edinburgh in a bid to calm calls for an independence referendum in Scotland have surprised many. However, it?s not the first time that it?s been suggested one of the Queen?s children settle at Holyroodhouse to boost the relationship between London and Edinburgh. Over two decades ago, the Princess Royal was at the heart of similar stories.

Back in 1999, the year that Edward and Sophie married, it was reported that the Queen was considering an idea for Anne to live permanently in Edinburgh. A role, described by some as ?quasi-regent? was being weighed up while a job for her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, at the naval base at Faslane was also mooted. In fact, the Herald went as far as to talk to a constitutional expert about a possible new title for Anne should she end up holding court at Edinburgh.

The reasons given for a move north for the princess are along much the same lines as those mooted for Edward and Sophie now. The Daily Mail has reported that Downing Street talked about the possibility of the Earl and Countess setting up home in Scotland to deepen the ??emotional bond?? between the country and the Crown. It was suggested that the couple, who are known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar in Scotland, would take on a bigger range of engagements in Scotland, thus boosting the public face of the Monarchy.

Downing Street told the paper that ??no formal request?? had been made to the Royal Family for the move while Buckingham Palace commented to the Mail that it was ??unaware of the proposal??.

[Curryong]

Was this 'suggestion' a Daily Fail special?  :hehe:

If the move to Scotland had been mooted when Anne first married Tim it might have been a good idea. I say 'might' because many Scots have wanted to be unhitched from England for a very long time. However, now, with Sturgeon calling for another independence referendum in a couple of years, this suggestion, IF true, smacks of desperation.

And at least Anne has had plenty of engagements performed over the border and is more known there.

But the Wessexes? Really!! I know Sophie is regarded as a workhorse and the media has been constantly bleating for twelve months that she is the rising star of the BRF. However the reality is that nobody in Britain really cares about the Wessexes. They've both got the charisma of a dead haddock and the chances that they could change Scottish minds about independence is below zero.

[PrincessOfPeace]

Lady Louise riding in Windsor yesterday. 

https://www.rexfeatures.com/livefeed/2021/04/08/lady_louise_windsor_heads_out_for_early_morning_ride,_windsor?

[PrincessOfPeace]

Lady Louise Windsor takes up the reins from her late grandfather Prince Philip as she drives her carriage at Windsor Castle after being dropped off by Sophie Wessex. 

Lady Louise Windsor picks up the reins from her late grandfather Prince Philip

[LouisFerdinand]

Lady Louise Windsor takes up the reins from her late grandfather Prince Philip as she drives her carriage at Windsor Castle after being dropped off by Sophie Wessex. 

Lady Louise Windsor picks up the reins from her late grandfather Prince Philip

How often will the press continue to refer to Philip as late grandfather or late Prince?

[sara8150]

Sophie, Countess of Wessex says menopause felt like someone had taken her brain out - Mirror Online

Sophie Wessex speaks out as she takes new role that belonged to Diana ?Time to say enough? | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

Sophie Wessex gets candid about menopause experience: 'It feels like a shackle' | HELLO!

Sophie, Countess of Wessex Gets Candid About Menopause | PEOPLE.com

[Macrobug67]

I know the feeling  :blink:

[Curryong]

I must have had an easy menopause as I sailed through it, and thanked God at the end that I didn?t have to bother any more every month. I did get fuzzy brain a couple of times during my pregnancies though, including leaving my toddler outside in her pusher next door to an ice cream shop and then walking off and leaving her. I?d crossed a road before I remembered and rushed back. We females have a lot to put up with really! In the next life I?ll come back as a man! 

[Amabel2]

Funny I went through a lot of physical pain nad problems, but it didn't affect me mentally....

[Macrobug67]

Just before hot flashes I get a overwhelming sense of doom.  I have had to talk myself down - my parents are fine, my sister is fine, the kids are fine etc etc.  Hot flash happens, I?m all good.  I started talking cipralex for the anti anxiety and off label anti hotflash.  It does work for me.   

[Macrobug67]

https://archive.ph/2021.06.04-203816/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/06/04/still-family-no-matter-earl-countess-wessex-grieving-grandpa/


When the Cambridge-educated Prince started dating Sophie Rhys-Jones, then a PR exec with her own firm, in 1993, his parents were delighted. The Queen took an immediate shine to the sales director?s daughter from Kent, who won plaudits in the press for her down-to-earth ?girl next door? image and work ethic. Despite often being compared to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who died two years before they married, the Countess largely kept her head down and quickly became the Queen?s go-to girl.
Yet she has not shied away from ?gritty? subject matters over the years, such as her work on gender-based violence in conflict, and trips to ?difficult areas?, such as South Sudan and Sierra Leone.
I once asked a royal aide why the Queen was so fond of her daughter-in-law. ?I think it?s because she never makes any demands of HM,? they replied. ?When the Queen appears, even for private family gatherings, she will quickly find a crowd gathered around her. The Countess always stands back and I think the Queen appreciates that.?

[PrincessOfPeace]

I like Sophie and Edward. Great interview.

[TLLK]

Thank you for sharing the link. It was an excellent interview with the Wessexes.

[PrincessOfPeace]

I noticed the interview caused a minor kerfuffle on some corners of social media.

[Macrobug67]

Oh?  Why?  I thought it was a nice, safe interview. 

[PrincessOfPeace]

Because of *Oprah who*

The Sussex Squad and Omid took it as shade.

[Amabel2]

I dont think they handled that well, but perhaps  its impossible to do so.  If they coldly ignored the question it would not look good..

[Macrobug67]

Sophie was defending a clergy member who didn?t recognize Oprah and said that you would have to watch chat shows - at least in this country (England).  Oprah is huge in US but I can easily see a minister in England not recognizing her.  I know my dad and my mom here in Canada wouldn?t have a clue if I mentioned Oprah.  Maybe my mom, maybe. 

As for people slagging Sophie because she went to Oprah?s schools in Africa - she didn?t say she didn?t know who she was.  Well, they did say Oprah who?  But that was a way of dealing with an uncomfortable question. 

And if the Wessexs are not thrilled with Oprah right now, that?s their right.  It?s a nasty situation. 

[Amabel2]

Yes I got that.  I know that she was defending some bishop, but saying "Oprah who", was a bit awkward.  That said, i think that the only thing they COULD do was to say "No comment" or just a polite and cool "we didn't see the interview"..
Im sure they are all furious about the interview but they can  hardly say so in public.

[Macrobug67]

It was an impossible question.  Damned if they do....

[Amabel2]

It was an impossible question.  Damned if they do....

Well yes.  Just that maybe Oprah who sounded a bit awkward.  And it set off people complaining that Sophe must know who Oprah is

[wannable]

Sophie jumped the interviewers question that Justin Welby didn't know who Oprah was. He had asked Oprah during the wedding reception what was her relation with the bride or groom.

Sophie told the interviewer if you are not into chat shows, the Archbishop wouldn't know who Oprah is.

Context...

I thought the question to be funny.