NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sophie, The Countess of Wessex

The Countess of Wessex (Sophie Helen; neé Rhys-Jones, born 20 January 1965), is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Until 2002, the Countess of Wessex worked in public relations. The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, KCVO, SOM (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999. ... The Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor; born 8 November 2003) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... A Royal House or Dynasty is a sort of family name used by royalty. ... The House of Windsor, previously called the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, is the Royal House of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the other Commonwealth Realms. ... Mary Rhys-Jones was born Mary OSullivan in Ireland in 1934. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Radcliffe Infirmary is a hospital in central Oxford, England, named after John Radcliffe. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony The British Royal Family is a shared royal family. ... The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, KCVO, SOM (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character, see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... Public relations (PR): Building sustainable relations with all publics in order to create a postive brand image. ...

Early life

The Countess was born Miss Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, the daughter of Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones, a retired tyre salesman, and his wife, Mary Rhys-Jones (nee O'Sullivan), a secretary of Irish birth, who died on 29 August 2005 at the age of 71. [1]. The Countess' first name was chosen by chance, because when she was pregnant, her mother overheard another mother call out "Sophie!" to her little girl and she decided that she liked the name^{[citation needed]}. Her second name, Helen, comes from her father's sister who died in a riding accident more than ten years before Sophie was born. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mary Rhys-Jones was born Mary OSullivan in Ireland in 1934. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She has an elder brother named David Bournes. She is an eleventh cousin once removed to her husband through their common ancestors Nicholas St John and Elizabeth nee Blount. Sophie has both Welsh and Irish ancestry through her father and mother respectively, Sophie also has royal ancestry as she is a descendent of King Henry II of France. Her maternal grandmother belonged, however, to the house of the Viscounts Molesworth of Swords. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Henry II (French: Henri II) (March 31, 1519 â€“ July 10, 1559), a member of the Valois Dynasty, was King of France from March 31, 1547, until his death. ...

Early in her life, her family moved to Kent, where she began her education at Dulwich College Preparatory School, Cranbrook. She then attended Kent College Pembury, before training as a secretary at West Kent College. coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Dulwich College Preparatory School (DCPS) is a public primary school in South London, UK for children aged 4-12 years. ... For other places with the same name, see Cranbrook (disambiguation). ... West Kent College (formerly West Kent College for Further Education) is a college of Further and Higher Education based at Brook Street (satellite photomap), Tonbridge. ...

Career

Starting a career in public relations, Sophie worked for a variety of firms including Capital Radio, where she worked in the Press and Promotions Department and also PR companies The Quentin Bell Organisation and MacLaurin Communications & Media. This article is about the British radio station. ...

In 1996, she launched her own PR agency, RJH Public Relations, which she ran with her business partner Murray Harkin.

The Countess' charitable ventures are as patron of SAFC Foundation, the charitable arm of Sunderland AFC. She recently went to watch the team play in a match against Crystal Palace, as a guest of the club's chairman Niall Quinn. She is also patron of Girlguiding UK, the UK's largest all-female organisation. Sunderland Association Football Club (Sunderland AFC or SAFC) is a professional football club, based at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North-East England. ... Crystal Palace Football Club are an English professional football team based in SE25, South East London and currently play in the Coca-Cola Championship, the second level of English football. ... Niall John Quinn (Honorary) MBE (b. ...

Marriage

On 6 January 1999 Sophie became engaged to The Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Their marriage took place on 19 June 1999 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Unlike previous weddings of the Queen's children, the wedding did not take place at either Westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral, reflecting the couple's wishes to have a more low key ceremony. A style of office, or honorific, is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the political office itself. ... HRH is an abbreviation for the style His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 359 days (360 in leap years) remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... HRH The Earl of Wessex His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor), styled HRH The Earl of Wessex (born March 10, 1964), is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character, see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... St Georges Chapel, Windsor St. ... Windsor castle, a thousand-year-old fortress transformed into a royal palace. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... This article is about the cathedral church of the diocese of London. ...

On their wedding day, the Queen created the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn (the latter reflecting the origins of Sophie's family in the Welsh border country). Thus Sophie took on the style Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. The couple live at Bagshot Park in Surrey. The Earl of Wessex is an Earl in the English and later British nobility. ... HRH The Earl of Wessex His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor), styled HRH The Earl of Wessex (born March 10, 1964), is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title... This article is about the country. ... Bagshot Park circa 1880. ... Not to be confused with Surry. ...

Children

Together the Earl and Countess of Wessex have one child: Lady Louise(, fair use)(see following text for clarification that its actually use with permission) One primary source for this image is [1] whcih describes it as Lady Louise Windsor poses for her first official portrait with her parents in a picture released by Buckingham Palace on 10 January... Lady Louise(, fair use)(see following text for clarification that its actually use with permission) One primary source for this image is [1] whcih describes it as Lady Louise Windsor poses for her first official portrait with her parents in a picture released by Buckingham Palace on 10 January...

The Lady Louise is the first grandchild of the sovereign in the male line not to be styled Prince or Princess with the style Royal Highness. This was in deference to the Queen and the Earl and Countess's wish that their children would not carry royal titles and styles. Although the first-born male of the couple could use the Earl's title of Viscount Severn, subsequent males and females would be styled by courtesy The Hon [N] Windsor or Lady [N] Windsor, respectively. However, this arrangement will likely be revised when the Earl is (eventually) created Duke of Edinburgh. The Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor; born 8 November 2003) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness). ...

Countess of Wessex

The Countess of Wessex began to take on royal duties after her wedding, though still worked at RJH under the name Sophie Wessex. However, the Countess soon came under criticism for appearing in public with clients of RJH at press launches, accused of using her royal status to promote her business.

A few days before her wedding, a scandal occurred when the Sun newspaper published a picture of the Countess in a topless pose with Capital Radio presenter Chris Tarrant. The picture had been taken when she still worked at the station. It later turned out that the photo was sold to the media for the highest price by a former friend of the Countess. The British monarch or Sovereign is the head of state of the United Kingdom and in the British overseas territories. ... Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony The British Royal Family is a shared royal family. ... Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_England. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character, see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary; formerly Parker Bowles; born Shand, 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the thrones of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth Realms. ... â€œPrince Williamâ€ redirects here. ... Prince Henry of Wales (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984; commonly known as Prince Harry) is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and his first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. ... The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, KG, KCVO, ADC(P) (Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor; born Windsor, 19 February 1960) is a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Duke of York since 1986. ... Princess Beatrice of York (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... Princess Eugenie of York (Eugenie Victoria Helena Mountbatten-Windsor; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British Royal Family and a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Eugenie is sixth in the Line of succession to the British Throne. ... The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, KCVO, SOM (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999. ... The Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor; born 8 November 2003) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... The Princess Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British Royal Family and the only daughter of Elizabeth II. She is the seventh holder of the title Princess Royal, and is currently ninth in the line of succession to the British... Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (Richard Alexander Walter George Windsor; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his fathers death in 1974. ... The Duchess of Gloucester (born 20 June 1946), is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandchild of King George V. The Duchess of Gloucester, with her husband, undertakes royal duties on behalf of the Dukes cousin, Queen Elizabeth II... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul Windsor; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ... The Duchess of Kent (Katharine Lucy Mary Windsor; born Worsley, 22 February 1933) is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The Duchess of Kent gained attention for her conversion... Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO (Michael George Charles Franklin Windsor; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. ... Princess Michael of Kent (Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida Windsor; born Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945), is a member of the British Royal Family. ... Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936), is a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George V. She was married to the late Sir Angus Ogilvy. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... Christopher John Tarrant OBE (born 10 October 1946, Reading, Berkshire) is an English radio broadcaster and television presenter, now best known for hosting the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. // Tarrant was educated at the Kings School, Worcester (1960-4) where he excelled at cricket and...

"Fake Sheik" Affair

In 2001, a News of the World newspaper undercover reporter, Mazher Mahmood, posing as a fake sheik recorded comments made by the Countess in which she made disparaging remarks about members of the British Government, and appeared to use her royal status as a business tool to gain clients. The comments were subsequently printed in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, and later by other media sources. The News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ... Mazher Mahmood in the 80s Mazher Mahmood is an undercover reporter for the British newspaper News of the World. ... Shaikh (Arabic: Ø´ÙŠØ® ),(also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh or Sheikh) is a word in the Arabic language meaning elder of tribe, lord or a revered old man. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ...

In an effort to prevent the publication of the remarks, the Countess agreed to give an interview to the News of the World, where she spoke of her views on the possibility of undergoing IVF fertility treatment. However, the News of the World printed their story with the headline: "My Edward's Not Gay".

The public perception of the Earl and Countess may have been badly damaged by the affair. In addition to similar criticism against the Earl of Wessex, that he was using his royal status to promote his television production company. Subsequently in 2002, the Earl and Countess of Wessex announced that they were to quit their business interests and concentrate on their royal duties.

In 2007, there is no evidence that either alleged incidents have had any lasting damaging effect on either the Earl or Countess of Wessex. In fact they are widely known for carrying out an ever increasing number of royal duties.

Pregnancy scares

In December 2001, the Countess was rushed to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London, after feeling unwell. It was later discovered to be an ectopic pregnancy, a potentially life-threatening condition. In hospital, she underwent a two-and-a-half hour operation, losing a lot of blood. She did however recover, remarking sadly of the pregnancy: "it was just not meant to be". There are several hospitals in the world named King Edward VII Hospital: UK King Edward VII Hospital, London King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor Bermuda King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Bermuda All of these hospitals are named after King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. ...

In 2003, it was announced that the Countess was again pregnant. She gave birth to her first child, her daughter Louise, on 8 November 2003. The premature birth resulted from a sudden placental abruption that placed both mother and child at risk. The Countess was rushed to hospital and underwent an emergency caesarian section. The Earl of Wessex was in Mauritius at the time of the birth, but returned immediately. November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Placental abruption (Also known as abruptio placenta) in biology, is the separation of the placental lining from the uterus of a female. ... A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), is a surgical incision through a mothers abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more fetuses. ...

In 2006, the Countess lent her support to the Born in Bradford research project, which is investigating causes of low birth weight and infant mortality. Born in Bradford Logo Born in Bradford is a large birth cohort study based at Bradford Royal Infirmary, a hospital in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. ... Low birth weight is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a fetus who is delivered to a reproductive female at the end of a pregnancy at a weight of < 2500 grams (WHO, 1969). ... The international levels of infant mortality, depicted as the number of deaths in a thousand births. ...

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Honours

Commonwealth Honours HRH The Duke of Gloucester is Grand Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II is a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to Queen Elizabeth II. It is not automatically awarded. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... The front of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal The Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan also called the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal struck to celebrate the first 100 years since Saskatchewans entrance into Canadian confederation. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Honorary military appointments

British Image File history File links Wessex-dop2b. ... Image File history File links Wessex-dop2b. ... The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, is based in St. ... In the British and other Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its (usually Royal) patron. ...

Commonwealth Cap Badge of the Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps The Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) is part of the Army Medical Services in the British Army. ... For the band The Rifles, see The Rifles (band). ...

Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... The South Alberta Light Horse (SALH) is one of the oldest and most colourful of the western Canadian army reserve units, tracing its earliest beginnings to the period of the Riel Rebellion of 1885. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, is based in St. ...

Encyclopedia > Sophie, The Countess of Wessex

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