Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex met in 1987 at Capital Radio, however did not begin dating immediately. Sophie met Prince Edward again at a charity event in 1993, and the two began their relationship soon afterwards. Their engagement was announced on January 6, 1999.
The pair tied the knot at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 19 that same year.
But what is the secret to their marriage being so long-lasting?
Judi James, a body language expert, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk to explain.
She said: “Both Edward and Sophie, and their relationship, seem to ripen with age. Edward might have been rumoured to be the Queen’s most indulged child and photos of his early years show him the centre of doting attention from his parents and his siblings.
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“But as he became an adult his popularity with the public reached a bit of a low.
“His behaviour during the ill-fated ‘It’s a Royal Knockout’ gave him a reputation for being petulant and childish.
“Edward was the brother who quit the Marines and he was said to be the royal who used his connections to leapfrog his way into TV production.
“His engagement to Sophie lacked the fairy-tale drama of Charles and Diana and the openly flirtatious sizzle of Andrew and Fergie.
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“Sophie wore a grey business suit and looked sensible and practical rather than the star of another royal rom-com.
“What the pair lacked in terms of charisma in the early days they have more than proved recently,” the expert noted.
Judi continued: “Edward and Sophie’s relationship appears to be occurring back-to-front. Sophie has started to dazzle like never before, with star quality that tended to be missing or overlooked at the start of her marriage.
“Edward now shows signs of being down-to-earth, modest and self-effacing. The body language they use as a couple now suggests the romance between them has intensified over the years rather than declined.
“Sophie and Edward make a formidable double-act but it is almost as though no one noticed until the pandemic hit and until Harry and Meghan quit the UK.
“They and their children stepped up to the plate without drama or any signs of resentment at any possible invasion of privacy as the spotlight turned in their direction.
“Royal males can be notoriously moody but Edward looks eternally good-humoured, open, approachable and modest when interviewed. Both he and Sophie were open in their signs of grief after Philip died but there were no signs of self-pity over any increased workload,” the expert added.
What are their romantic body language signals?
Judi said: “Sophie seems to flatter her husband with her non-verbal signals, increasing his confidence as a performer while he looks at her with undisguised delight, fascination and love. They have often been seen in public lost in one another’s company, engaging in face-to-face eye contact and grinning and laughing like teenagers on a date.
“When Edward chose Sophie he also gave his mother the most amazing gift. Sophie’s relationship with the Queen has grown closer and closer to the point where they are friends as well as daughter and mother-in-law and this bond must have helped boost the harmony between Sophie and Edward.
“Both the Queen and Philip always looked relaxed and happy in Sophie’s company and there was a moment at Sandringham at Christmas in 2002 when Sophie stood grinning and the Queen suddenly reached up to touch her hat with the fondest of smiles in a totally rare moment of public affection and spontaneity.
“It looks as though all the current royal Firm like ‘popular’ Sophie and her ‘safe pair of hands’ reputation not only makes Edward proud and the Queen prouder, it has also seen the couple become the ‘fixers’ of the royal Firm, the ones trusted to act as a buffer between battling Princes and support to the Queen in times of crisis.”
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