For the Duchess of Edinburgh, the early years of her marriage to Prince Edward were punctuated by incredible highs and equally incredible lows.

In 2001, Sophie was hospitalized following an ectopic pregnancy, and then two years later, the heavily pregnant Duchess was again rushed to the hospital due to a sudden placental abruption.

The health scare put both Sophie and her soon-to-be born daughter’s life at risk with Louise being born via an emergency caesarean section.

And the dramatic birth all took place while Edward was thousands of miles away on a royal tour of Mauritius.  

Lady Louise was then diagnosed with the eye condition esotropia where one of her eyes was turning inwards.

Tragedy struck in August 29, 2005 when Sophie’s mother – Mary Rhys-Jones – died aged 71 following a short battle with colon cancer. 

In his biography about Sophie, royal author Sean Smith reflects on how the passing of Mary, who died 20 years ago today, profoundly impacted her.

Smith notes that because Mary passed away when Louise was just 18 months old and two years before her grandson James was born, it remained a ‘source of great regret for Sophie’ that Mary ‘missed out on seeing her grandchildren grow up.’

Mary’s funeral took place two weeks later on September 16 2005 at St George’s Parish Church, in Benenden, Kent.

The service was led by former Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Peter Nott, who was a close friend of Mary and had officiated Sophie and Edward’s wedding.

Smith wrote: ‘The turnout at the local church was huge, a tribute to a woman who was a very popular and sociable member of the community for many years.’

Edward and David Rhys-Jone both gave readings at the service. 

Born in 1934, Mary’s early life could not have been more different than the one enjoyed by her grandchildren.

She came from a family of mainly Irish shopkeepers and farmers. Mary married her husband Christopher Rhys-Jones in 1961 and then had a career as a part-time secretary and charity worker.

Her final years were defined by Sophie’s marriage into the royal family which led Mary to find ‘unexpected prominence late in life’ – as the Daily Mail wrote at the time of her death.

The mother had been concerned for her daughters future when she joined the Royal Family. ‘Fearing that her marriage might go the same way as Diana and Fergie’s. She needn’t have been concerned,’ Smith wrote.

He continued that it would be some years before Sophie ‘shared her deep sense of loss with the public’. 

‘I miss her very much and there are moments where I hear some music she loved or do something I know she’d have wanted to hear about, which makes her early departure very hard,’ Sophie said at the time.

‘She has missed out on so much and I’m particularly sad the she hasn’t seen my children grow up or seen how my work has grown and developed,’ she added.

Sophie’s father is now 94 and has lived to see his grandchildren grow – with Louise now attending the University of St Andrews. 

As recently as 2023, Christopher was spotted on a rare outing with Sophie to Ascot. 

The father and daughter were spotted in the Royal Enclosure enjoying the horse racing with their around each other in a warm embrace.

After her mother’s passing, Sophie grew closer to the late Queen, whom she was heard calling ‘mama’ on occasion, including at a Diamond Jubilee Trust event at Buckingham Palace in 2019. 

In the Queen’s final years, former aides described the Queen’s relationship with Sophie as ‘like mother and daughter’, adding: ‘There is a great deal of love and mutual respect between them.’ 

Sophie’s fondness for Queen Elizabeth II was reciprocated with the Duchess of Edinburgh often being described as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member .

And following Prince Philip’s death in 2021, Sophie became the Queen’s ‘rock’.