More attention has been shone on the Earl and Countess of Wessex since Prince Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal life. Prince Edward and Sophie have always quietly supported their charities and patronages and carried out their royal roles within the Firm, but in recent months, the spotlight has turned to the couple and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Louise is turning 18 this year, while James is 13, which has some fans questioning whether they’ll follow in their parents’ footsteps and have full-time royal careers.
However, in an interview with The Sunday Times‘ Christina Lamb back in 2020, Sophie explained: “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
In the personal interview, Sophie also revealed that Edward is a hands-on father, and how their life is very normal, despite being part of the Firm.
On the future hopes for her 17-year-old daughter Louise, Sophie said she would like to see her go to university, but added: “I wouldn’t force her, but if she wants to. She’s quite clever, so I think probably, whereas James I don’t know.”
On how her husband helps her with everyday chores such as cooking, the mother-of-two revealed: “He is very good at barbecues, and the children love those. He takes our son fishing, does a lot of riding with our daughter, he is very engaged as a father.”
Sophie and Edward have kept their children’s life quite private since they were born, only appearing at a handful of royal events per year. “They go to a regular school [they both attend top independent schools]. They go to friends for sleepovers and parties,” she said.
“At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends. I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother.”
