William and Kate’s ‘role models’ are royal couple who’ve been ‘sounding board’

Prince William and Kate Middleton admire Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie for their low-key lifestyle and ability to keep their children away from the spotlight

A royal couple who have a certain knack for keeping their children out of the spotlight have fast become role models for Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The Prince and Princess of Wales admire Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s ability to keep their kids away from the prying eyes of the public, with their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, even able to work in a garden centre.

It is believed that Sophie has become a dependable “sounding board” for Kate, and the pair have formed a strong relationship. Meanwhile, William is also thought to be on good terms with his uncle, according to the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English.

She wrote: “It’s unsurprising to many in royal circles that they have become role models to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who greatly admire the way they have brought up their children out of the public spotlight (at one point 16th-in-line-to-the-throne Louise even had a job working in a local garden centre for £6.83 an hour).”

Sophie was seen offering William a comforting pat on the back following the royals’ appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on Saturday. And he was also seen standing with Edward at the Order of the Garter service on Monday.

Edward and Sophie’s appeal to the Prince and Princess may have something to do with their ability to enjoy a more easy-going lifestyle, with the pair spotted shopping in Co-op and enjoying family holidays on the Isles of Scilly.

In fact, a family friend who once joined them on holiday said a member of the public approached Edward to say he was a “dead ringer” for the late Queen’s youngest son, suggesting they know how to slip under the radar.

It will come as no surprise to the more avid followers of the royals, however, as Edward and Sophie have been tackling tradition since before their marriage on June 19, 1999.

Sophie Rhys-Jones, the daughter of a tyre salesman who had been dating Edward for six years, became the first royal girlfriend to be allowed to stay overnight in Buckingham Palace as an unmarried woman.

In a further break from tradition, the couple refused to give up their day jobs. Edward worked as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company prior to working in TV production.

Sophie, meanwhile, worked as a publicist in the entertainment industry, but these more humble careers would eventually fade into the background when the couple became full-time royals in 2002.

While Charles, Andrew and Anne sadly saw their marriages end in divorce, the optimistic Edward and Sophie, now the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, would endure, having two children.

James, the Earl of Wessex, is currently completing his GCSEs, and Lady Louise is an English literature student at St Andrews University.

Edward and Sophie today mark their silver wedding anniversary and plan to celebrate their 25 years together in typically modest fashion with a few friends at Royal Ascot.