Meghan Markle's 'blunt reaction' to having Sophie Wessex as royal mentor The Duchess of Edinburgh appears to navigate public life with ease and has been dubbed the Royal Family's secret weapon - but it wasn't always the case.
So when it was announced that actress Meghan Markle would be marrying Sophie's nephew Prince Harry, it seemed natural that the late Queen suggested the Duchess could mentor the royal newcomer.
In fact, Sophie, the the wife of the late Queen's youngest son Prince Edward, has previously been candid about how it "took her a while to find her feet" after leaving behnd a successful career in PR to becoming a full-time royal.
But author and friend of the royals Gyles Brandreth in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, he writes: "The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood that Harry's girl might find adjusting to Royal life 'challenging to begin with' (as she put it).
The Duchess of Sussex quit her acting career upon marrying Harry in 2018 and pledged to "hit the ground running" on becoming a working royal.
