Inside Princess Anne's Relationship With Sophie, Duchess Of Edinburgh

Since Queen Elizabeth II's death, the British monarchy has been put through the wringer. Between Prince Harry's tell-all memoir, a bombshell Netflix documentary, and King Charles III and Princess Catherine's cancer diagnoses, it's been a tumultuous couple of years for the institution. But amid all the drama, there have been some positive changes as well. For instance, female members of the monarchy have been at the forefront since Charles' diagnosis, and the duo that's been standing out the most has been Princess Anne and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh. While Anne is known as one of the monarchy's hardest-working members, Sophie has often been referred to as the "royal family's secret weapon."

Sophie is married to Prince Edward, which makes her Anne's sister-in-law. And while the two haven't been seen collaborating very often in the past, that has changed since the king's cancer diagnosis. Anne and Sophie have known each other since 1987, when Sophie first started dating Edward. Royal pundits have been wondering about the relationship Sophie has with the other royals, especially Princess Anne, and now it seems the two are finally allowing us a glimpse of their friendship.

Sophie was very close to Queen Elizabeth and even once referred to her as "mama" in a speech. She's also proved a hardworking royal, something Anne most certainly would have noticed over the years. Now, it seems that the two royals are growing closer amid King Charles' absence, and they make a pretty awesome team.

They might seem thick as thieves now, but Princess Anne and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh weren't always close. At least that's what body language expert Judi James told Express in 2021. After analyzing how the two royals act around each other, James concluded that they didn't show any signs of having a close relationship.

James pointed out that, during public encounters, Anne appeared to hold back from showing any warmth toward Sophie, whereas the duchess showed clear signs of wanting to impress the princess royal. "[During one outing] Sophie's upright body language appears to become more girlish and keen to please with Anne, who herself appears to settle back into her seat to stare at the crowds," James explained. She added that, while Sophie could be seen giving Anne a warm smile, the princess didn't return it and remained pretty tight-lipped. "Their body language together hints at differences that appear to move both women into rather contrasting states when they are together," James said.

Upon analyzing Anne and Sophie's body language while they attended the RAF 100 ceremony before COVID-19 hit, James said that Anne's nature was more stoic than Sophie's. This was especially obvious when Prince Edward appeared to crack a joke, sending the duchess into a fit of laughter. "Sophie looks uncharacteristically giggly and schoolgirlish here," James said, adding, "This naughty schoolkid body language seems to have brought out a far more prim response from Anne."

The death of Princess Anne's father, Prince Philip, was a devastating loss. She's even admitted that there are moments from Philip's funeral she's glad she didn't see due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This difficult time, however, brought her closer to another member of the royal family: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

After Philip's death, Queen Elizabeth II needed her family's support more than ever. Sophie and Anne both stepped up and, as a result, became close friends. "Sophie and Anne never spent much time together, but since Prince Philip died, they've seen each other nearly every day," a source told Now to Love. "Friendship has blossomed between them over the past few months, and they're really enjoying their time together," they added. Anne and Sophie were seen attending some engagements together late in 2021, and onlookers couldn't help but notice that their relationship had changed. The two were spotted at the Westmorland County Show in September 2021, where pundits noticed a new warmth between the two women. "[I'm] loving the horse girl energy between Anne and Sophie," one fan posted on social media (via Now to Love).

Someone who was reportedly very chuffed with this new friendship was Queen Elizabeth. "The Queen is thrilled Anne has a woman in the family she's close to after growing up with three brothers and never truly seeing eye to eye with Diana, Camilla, or Fergie," a source said.

Queen Elizabeth II's death plunged the whole world into mourning, and royal fans were devastated by Princess Anne's behavior at the funeral. It was clear that the princess was incredibly saddened by her mother's death, and as she accompanied the queen's coffin, many pundits noticed that she was barely holding it together. But she wasn't alone — when the queen's coffin arrived in Edinburgh to lie in state, pundits noticed a very tender moment between Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Anne, as the duchess placed a comforting hand on the princess' back.

This quiet moment of consolation followed after Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, accompanied the queen's coffin on its journey from Balmoral. Prince Edward and Sophie, as well as Prince Andrew, joined them for the six-and-a-half-hour drive. Pictures of the royals waiting for the coffin to be carried into Holyroodhouse showed Sophie remaining close to Anne.

When Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, experts immediately started speculating about the royals who might be stepping up during King Charles III's reign, and they landed on Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. GB News presenter Alastair Stewart told Express that Anne and Sophie were the obvious choices because of their work ethic. He also mentioned that Sophie was the perfect candidate to lend a helping hand to Camilla, Queen Consort, and Charles during this period of transition, especially because she was so close to the queen. "Charles is absolutely at his most peaceful now with Camilla, but I think the women in the family will be towers of strength for him, not least Sophie and Anne," Stewart said. Little did he know how right he was, only it was King Charles' cancer diagnosis that led Anne and Sophie to really step up.

When Charles first made his diagnosis public, speculation was rife about the royals who would be standing in for the king while he received treatment. Anne and Sophie started to take on extra duties, most notably when they made a joint effort to host a reception for Korean War veterans in Charles' stead. The king admitted that he was very disappointed that he had to forfeit the event, but the two women did a fine job.

Princess Anne is known for her iconic outfits, and because she and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, started attending royal engagements together, pundits have noticed that the two like to coordinate their attire. While hosting the Korean War veterans reception, Anne and Sophie both wore turquoise outfits. Sophie stunned in a gorgeous turquoise dress with a flower pattern while Anne wore a classy dress in the same shade. Tatler dubbed the two "the royal power duo," pointing out that it was rare to see the duchess and the princess together at public engagements.

It also appears that Sophie follows Anne's lead when it comes to choosing fashion accessories. As it turns out, King Charles III enjoys giving his family matching gifts for Christmas, and in 2023, Anne and Sophie received the same checkered merino wool scarf from the monarch. When news broke that Charles had to undergo a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, Anne seemed to show her brother some quiet support by wearing the scarf to a royal engagement in Edinburgh the day after the announcement was made. About a week later, Sophie was spotted wearing her scarf as well while paying a visit to the Harris Girls' Academy to raise awareness about menstrual issues. Pundits and the press quickly noticed that Sophie appeared to have followed Anne's lead, leading many to believe that she borrowed from Anne's style from time to time.

When body language expert Judi James spoke to Express in 2021, she pointed out that it was a pity.

Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, weren't closer because they had so much in common. "There are several personality traits that could easily bind these two women, who share a sense of energy when it comes to their royal duties and an uncomplaining attitude bordering on the stoic," James said at the time. It might have taken them a while, but Anne and Sophie seem to have eventually realized what James knew all along — they are meant to be friends. Princess Anne has proved on multiple occasions that she's a total boss, and so has Sophie, and now the two are becoming the power duo the monarchy needs during a challenging time.

Anne and Sophie both adore horses, and according to some sources who spoke to Woman's Day (via Now to Love) the duchess and the princess have been spending plenty of time at the stables since they started growing closer after Prince Philip's death. "They realized they had a lot more in common than they thought," a source told Now to Love. "They go riding together and love a catch-up over a picnic or a cheeky cocktail after a day in the saddle."