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Kate Middleton, Prince William, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward on their wedding days

Princess Kate and Duchess Sophie's 'unofficial' royal marriage bond

Prince Edward and Prince William's wives "adjusted" to royal life following their weddings

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
November 21, 2024
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The Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, and the Princess of Wales, 42, are not only related through marriage but also closely bonded by their experiences of being "commoners" entering the royal family.

Sophie exchanged vows with Prince Edward in 1999 following a six-year relationship, with the royal admitting at their engagement photocall: "It's impossible for anyone else to understand why this has taken me so long [to propose], but I don't think it would have been right before and I don't think Sophie would have said yes before."

Edward and Sophie at engagement photocall© Getty
Edward and Sophie got engaged following a six-year relationship

Kate similarly had a long-term relationship over eight years with Prince William before the couple walked down the aisle in 2011, earning her the nickname "Waity Katie".

William also confessed during his engagement interview that they had been discussing marriage for "a while" before he proposed in Kenya while on holiday with friends. 

Edward and Sophie married 12 years before Kate and William© Getty
The couple got married in 1999, 12 years before Kate and William

"We've talked about today for a while, we've talked about this happening so Kate wasn't in the dark at all when we were planning it for at least a year if not longer, it was just finding the right time and that's what most people say about couples, it's just about timing," he said.

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Despite seventeen years separating the pair, this shared experience is said to have helped cement the bond between Kate and her aunt-in-law Sophie. 

The happy couple posed for photographers on the day they announced their engagement© Getty
The Prince and Princess of Wales had been discussing marriage for "a while" before they got engaged in 2010

"Sophie was there for Kate in an unofficial capacity because she had the same experience of being a commoner marrying into the family," royal author Ingrid Seward told HELLO!.

"They both had really long romances with their husbands-to-be. By the time they got married, they had more knowledge than the royal brides before them about what they were getting into."

couple getting married inside Westminster Abbey © Getty Images
Kate was nicknamed "Waity Katie" before her marriage

Meanwhile, royal author Robert Hardman added they had a similar "adjustment" period following their weddings.

"They are both people who weren't in the royal orbit before and had to adjust to that. The Duchess is not that far ahead in her motherhood journey - her son is still at school. And the two families now live close to one another," he said, referring to Kate's children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis, and Sophie's daughter Lady Louise, 21, and son James, Earl of Wessex, 16. 

Catherine pregnant and Sophie wessex at Buckingham Palace © Getty
The Princess of Wales was a "commoner" before marrying into the royal family

Ingrid, author of My Mother & I, the Inside Story of the King and Our Late Queen, described Sophie as "the older sister Kate never had" and added their approach to motherhood is similar.

Kate Middleton and Duchess Sophie laughing at an event© Pool
The royal ladies have a close bond

"They are both protective of their children. Sophie has had a young family, so she knows what it's like trying to protect them while being in the royal world," she said.

LOOK: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's rural honeymoon photo leaves fans emotional

To read the full story, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps. 

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