8 of the Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward's sweetest PDA moments

The Countess of Wessex is set to mark her 56th birthday on 20 January, and in honour of the celebration, HELLO! is taking a look back at her cutest PDA moments with her husband, the Earl of Wessex. 

Prince Edward and Sophie married at St George's Chapel in Windsor on 19 June 1999, where the bride wore a wedding dress designed by Samantha Shaw with the 'Anthemion' tiara from the Queen's jewellery collection.

Edward and Sophie live at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, born in 2003 and 2007 respectively. The couple are patrons of a number of organisations and charities, and carry out engagements in relation to them.

The Prince is the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's youngest child and was born in 1964 at Buckingham Palace. He is currently eleventh-in-line to the throne, after his niece Princess Eugenie.

READ: Royal Ascot: The best royal fashion looks from Kate Middleton, Sophie Wessex & more

Engagement

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones announced their engagement in January 1999 and posed for photos at St James's Palace. The royal proposed to his girlfriend with a diamond engagement ring made by Asprey and Garrard. There was a sweet moment as Edward kissed the bride-to-be on the cheek during the photocall. 

WATCH: Sophie's style evolution through the years

Wedding

The newlyweds gazed at one another lovingly, following their wedding ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor in June 1999. They were given the titles of Earl and Countess of Wessex on the day of their marriage. 

MORE: 10 times the royals made us emotional with their sweet sentimental jewellery

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First child

The couple's first child, Lady Louise Windsor, was born in 2003 at Frimley Park Hospital. The proud parents beamed at one another for their first official portrait as a family-of-three, taken at the Queen's Sandringham estate. 

MORE: Prince Edward and Lady Louise Windsor enjoy father-daughter day in Windsor

Royal tour

Photographers captured this sweet moment of the couple during a visit to Brunei in 2000 in the Ulu Temburong National Park. Edward placed his arm around his wife as they walked across a rope bridge. 

MORE: 14 times the Countess of Wessex has wowed in a tiara

Royal duties

Edward is always making his wife laugh when they carry out joint engagements together. We love this photo of the pair of them giggling during a trip to Oxfordshire in 2014. 

Royal Ascot

The Wessexes had a cute moment together at Royal Ascot in 2013, when they celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary. 

Sporting challenge

A proud Edward kisses wife Sophie after she completed a gruelling 450-mile cycling challenge from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in 2016, to raise money for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The Countess and her team completed the ride in seven days and looked overjoyed to be greeted by her husband and two children at the palace. 

20th wedding anniversary

Edward and Sophie marked their milestone anniversary at Royal Ascot in 2019.