Sophie Wessex, known by her formal royal title the Duchess of Edinburgh, is said to have a close bond with senior royals Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William, the Princess and Prince of Wales.
Sophie and Kate, 41, reportedly have a bit of a "naughty friendship" and are often pictured exchanging lighthearted moments at royal engagements together, with Sophie often hailed for her down-to-earth approach to her royal duties.
Although the 58-year-old is looked upon fondly for her honest approach to royal life, Sophie was awarded her royal title ahead of marrying the late Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Edward many eyebrows were raised across the country.
According to reports in the Mirror, this is the result of a plan to give Sophie a title that is now held by Kate after it was axed in favour of a more unusual choice.
Sophie and Prince Edward tied the knot in 1999 and he was not awarded a dukedom unlike his older brother Prince Andrew and instead was given the title of the Earl of Wessex meaning Sophie became the Countess of Wessex.
But it is believed she almost did end up with another title, one which is now the same that the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton was awarded on her wedding day.
Edward was originally going to be offered the title Duke of Cambridge, which was eventually given to Prince William, according to one palace courtier, meaning if the original plan went ahead Sophie would have been the Duchess of Cambridge - the title that eventually went to Kate.
"Prince Edward was going to be the Duke of Cambridge, but he watched the film Shakespeare in Love, which had a character called the Earl of Wessex," the courtier explained to The Telegraph in 2010.
"He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead."
Meanwhile earlier this year both Edward and Sophie saw their titles change yet again when they became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. In a rare outing on Tuesday night, Sophie attended a London screening of Rhino Man, a documentary which follows the next generation of South African wildlife rangers alongside her nephew Prince William.
The duchess also has a strong interest in wildlife protection so was the perfect companion for the outing, sporting a chic Erdem floral dress with heels whilst William dressed smartly in a blue suit. More than 150 guests attended the screening at Battersea power station on Tuesday hosted by United for Wildlife (UfW), William's initiative to fight the illegal wildlife trade.
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