Rare Moments Of PDA Witnessed Between Prince Edward And Sophie

It's not often that royal PDA moments are caught on camera. Though there are a few exceptions to the rule, like the surprisingly frequent moments of PDA between Zara and Mike Tindall and the times Meghan Markle and Prince Harry showed public displays of affection, most royal couples keep their hands to themselves while out and about. Myka Meier, a royal etiquette expert, shed light on this behavior while speaking to People back in 2018, revealing there actually are no formal rules on the subject. Meier explained, "The royals often adjust PDA to mirror the formality of the event they are attending. At a somber or more formal event, we are less likely to see PDA than at a casual event where it would be deemed more fitting."

Which brings us to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth II's youngest child, who was born third in line to the British throne, married Sophie back In 1999. Sophie worked in public relations before leaving her agency in 2002 to become a full-time member of the royal family, and by all accounts, she fit right in. Sure, there was a scandal that almost brought Sophie down, but that didn't stop her from becoming one of Elizabeth's "favorite" in-laws.

While Edward and Sophie have largely kept their romantic moments under wraps over the years, they do let their love for one another slip from time to time. From loving glances to quick kisses, here are some of their sweetest public moments.

Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, enjoyed a lengthy courtship before the former popped the question. The couple originally met in 1987 at Sophie's place of work, Capital Radio. Prince Edward had been dating her friend at that time, who introduced the future couple. They eventually crossed paths once more when Prince Edwards was single, and officially started dating in 1993. Even after they made things official, it took Prince Edward some time to propose — about five years, in fact. 

The couple enjoyed a holiday engagement, with Prince Edward bestowing Sophie with a stunning three-diamond ring ahead of Christmas in 1998. The ring was made by British royal jeweler Garrard, with a two-carat center stone sandwiched in between two heart-shaped diamonds, reportedly costing an estimated $149,000. 

In January 1999, Edward and Sophie participated in the age-old tradition that is the royal engagement interview. While posing for the sea of cameras, Edward gave his fiancée a kiss on the cheek. It was a quick but endearing public display of affection between the longtime lovebirds. Sophie then showed off the ring as Edward quipped, "Have you got your dark glasses on? If it catches the sun, you'll be blinded." The prince also noted that even after all of these years together, Sophie was still caught off guard by the proposal. "She had no idea it was coming, which is what I really wanted to do," he said. 

A royal wedding is always a grand affair. In June 1999, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, tied the knot at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. At their engagement announcement, Prince Edward remarked that the couple wanted to keep things relatively small in comparison to most royal ceremonies. "There's no such thing as a private wedding but I hope that it will be predominantly a family wedding,"  he said. Sophie agreed with this sentiment, adding, "It is a personal matter, and it's a family occasion."

The couple had a total of 500 guests at their ceremony, and reportedly requested a more casual dress code — specifically no headpieces — but many royal family members opted not to comply, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and Prince Edward's sister Princess Anne. 

Despite the attempt to keep things relatively low key, Prince Edward's wedding to Sophie was watched by more than 200 million people on television. All those eyes were fixated on the romantic occasion, including the sweet moment where the young royal walked out of the church proudly holding his new bride's hand. They also received a pretty extravagant wedding gift from Elizabeth II: a home. The newlyweds were given Bagshot Park in Surrey, their present-day residence that sits on 51 acres of land and includes a whopping 120 rooms. 

Though they try to keep things buttoned up in front of the cameras, every now and then, royal couples put their love on display for all to see. Just take this older photo of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, for example. In it, the couple look like any other enamored pair of newlyweds with their arms around one another. This snap was taken a little over one year after Prince Edward and Sophie's wedding, during the newlyweds' royal tour of Brunei in October 2000. They were seen getting cozy on a rope bridge in the Ulu Temburong National Park at the time. 

At their engagement announcement the year prior, the royal couple opened up about their typically very private relationship. Sophie told reporters at the time, "I think we share a number of interests, we laugh a lot and we have a great friendship." For his part, Prince Edward confirmed their bond, adding, "We are the very best of friends and that's essential but it also helps that we also love each other very much."

By all accounts, they seemed to enjoy the honeymoon phase — and that was the plan. Rather than jump right into growing their family, they took some time to settle into this new chapter. "We'll have a decent period of being able to enjoy married life and the house, the grounds and everything else," Edward told BBC News before they got hitched. 

In November 2003, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, welcomed their first child together, Lady Louise Windsor. Their path to parenthood wasn't straightforward, with Sophie experiencing an ectopic pregnancy in 2001. Louise's birth was nearly a tragedy as well, as both mother and baby were in grave danger when Sophie went into labor at 36 weeks. Sophie experienced a placental abruption at the time, which resulted in an emergency C-section while Prince Edward was on a royal tour in Mauritius at the time. The Mail on Sunday reported in 2014 that Sophie could've died during the delivery, due to losing a large amount of blood. While recovering from the birth, Sophie and Louise had to spend a significant time apart. A friend told the outlet at the time, "It was utterly traumatic, and in some ways Sophie has never got over it. It completely reshaped her character and affected how she relates to her children."

Though Prince Edward missed the birth of his daughter, he was there to show her off to the world when she could finally leave the hospital. Two weeks after Louise was born, it was time for Edward and Sophie to take her home. As photogs snapped pictures, the new parents stood shoulder to shoulder. As Edward held Louise, Sophie lovingly put her hand on her husband's back. The couple was clearly overjoyed to be there with one another and their bundle of joy.

Four years after welcoming their first child, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, proudly showed off their son to the public in December 2007. As BBC News reported at the time, the baby's arrival was without any serious complications, which Edward and Sophie did not take for granted. As Edward told reporters, it was "a lot calmer than last time." He also shared that Sophie was doing well and their new baby was "very cute and very cuddly." Three days after Sophie gave birth to their son, the three posed for some photos. In a few of the shots, Edward can be seen cradling their son while Sophie keeps her hand placed atop his. It's a subtle but noticeable gesture of affection between the parents.

The couple kept their baby's name under wraps for four days, eventually revealing his full name on December 21, James Alexander Philip Theo. At the time they shared he would be known as Viscount Severn, but like Lady Louise he would not receive an HRH title. After Queen Elizabeth II's death, he became James, Earl of Wessex. Sophie would later tell The Sunday Times in 2020, "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." 

During their 17th year of marriage, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, decided to complete a 450 mile cycling challenge. The feat, which kicked off in Edinburgh and ended at Buckingham Palace, saw her cycle for seven days straight — and some of those days, she biked over 80 miles. Her biggest supporter throughout the experience was, of course, her husband, Prince Edward. Here, he is seen here giving her a kiss on day one of the challenge. He cheered on his wife and was there with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, for the exciting ending at his family's palace. 

According to the BBC, Sophie told reporters that prior to the challenge she was far from a professional rider;  according to the royal, she typically biked "never for more than the odd hour" with her kids. After the lengthy ride came to an end, the royal shared, "If you told me that I would feel like this at the end of seven days cycling I would never have believed you. I do feel good and it has been a lovely, lovely experience." She also gave credit to Mother Nature for making the lovely, lovely experience all the more lovely. "We have been extraordinarily lucky with the weather and I do think that if it had been driving wind and rain you would have seen a slightly shabbier, slightly more disheveled and tired looking party arriving," she said.

In June 2019, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, celebrated a major milestone in their marriage: their 20th wedding anniversary. What better way to celebrate than to attend a major horse race with the who's who of British society?

That year, their anniversary fell during a popular social event for the royals, Royal Ascot. Royal Ascot is, of course, a glamorous five-day event where attendees show up in head-turning outfits and exquisite headpieces. When Edward and Sophie showed up on June 18 — one day before their actual anniversary, their ensembles didn't disappoint. The princess seemed to give a subtle nod to her relationship milestone as she sported a charming white floral print dress to the festivities, complete with a high neck and short sleeves; Edward wore the iconic jockey-themed tie he's worn year after year. The couple was photographed throughout the day looking as blissed out as ever, sharing loving looks and affectionate smiles like a pair of newlyweds. 

A few months prior to their anniversary, the pair were given new titles from Queen Elizabeth II in honor of Prince Edward's 55th birthday in March, making him the Earl of Forfar. They became the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Forfar. In honor of their 20th year of marriage, People revisited one of Prince Edward's sweetest quotes about Sophie: "We manage to have a good laugh about things most of the time, and we happen to love each other, which is the most important thing of all."

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years and often see many members of the British royal family in attendance. This was the case in 2022, when Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, were on hand that August to take in the women's hockey match between England and India. The couple could be seen in the stands looking quite cozy and casual, with Prince Edward's arm draped around his wife's back as she appeared to be snapping a photo of the action on her smartphone. 

The following month would mark another big milestone for the royal couple: sending their daughter off to college. Lady Louise Windsor left home to move on to the campus of St. Andrews in Scotland that September, with plans to study English. She chose the same university that her cousin Prince William attended (and where he met his future wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales). 

The look of love. Though it didn't sound like a particularly romantic event on paper, hearts were all a-flutter at the 2024 Community Sport and Recreation Awards in March. At the event, which happened to be held just two days before Prince Edward's 60th birthday, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, looked as enamored as a newlywed. 

Both halves of the royal couple gave speeches at the festivities, but Sophie decided to take a very personal approach as she used the time to toast to her husband's milestone birthday. After paying homage to the athletes in attendance, Sophie switched gears and added, "I wanted to also take this opportunity to recognize another great milestone and share a small tribute to my darling husband as he celebrates his 60th birthday this Sunday. Now I know from the many years of marriage we have chalked up, 25 years in June to be precise, he will be horrified at seeing me up here speaking about him in public."

All jokes aside, the rest of Sophie's speech was a charming peek into her relationship with Queen Elizabeth II's youngest child. "He has been my guide and shown me the way over the years... and together I think we make quite a good team," she said. As she presented him with a cake, she added, "He is the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and still is my best friend." Aww.

Thanks to their June nuptials, many of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh's anniversaries have fallen during Royal Ascot during the years. In 2024, they even spent their 25th wedding anniversary at the races. The happy couple were on hand for the glamorous festivities, which take place each year in Ascot, England at the Ascot Racecourse, and much like their 20th anniversary five years prior, Sophie took the occasion to pay homage to the occasion with her clothes. The royal donned a beautiful white floor-length dress with floral embellishments, presumably a nod to the white of her wedding gown. In honor of the occasion, the royal couple released images from a photoshoot alongside a heartfelt message, writing (via People), "We are so grateful for the many kind and lovely messages we have received on our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Wishing everyone who is celebrating their own anniversaries a special day too." 

Ahead of their milestone anniversary, Edward gushed about his wife on an episode of ITV's "Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh" (via Tatler). "She's been an absolutely brilliant rock and I'm incredibly lucky that I found Sophie and that she found me," he said. "Hopefully we've been a really brilliant partnership."

Given all the relationship drama and affair rumors that've circled the royal family over the years, it's nice to see this royal couple have their happily ever after.