Sophie, Countess of Wessex Expected to be Made Duchess of Edinburgh

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is expected to be made the Duchess of Edinburgh following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sophie, who is married to Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, is believed to have had a close relationship with her late mother-in-law, even calling her “Mama.”

During the Queen's passing, the Countess has been pictured looking sombre and tearful as she attended a handful of memorial services for the Queen.

It's now thought that Edward may inherit his late father Prince Philip's former title of the Duke of Edinburgh in light of his mother's death, therefore making Sophie a Duchess.

The title was initially inherited by Charles, who has since been made King.

The decision rests in the hands of the new King, as reported by Telegraph.

Prince Philip is said to have expressed his wishes of Edward inheriting his title when the time came, and King Charles III agreed to such terms.

As it stands, Edward is the only one of the Queen's sons to not have a dukedom.

While it's believed Charles will keep his promise to his late father, Edward has previously expressed his doubts.

“It was fine in theory, ages ago when it was sort of a pipe dream of my father's,” he told the BBC.

“Of course, it will depend on whether or not the Prince of Wales, when he becomes King, whether he'll do that, so we'll wait and see.

So yes, it will be quite a challenge taking that on.”

Edward and Sophie have been seen attending several of the Queen's memorial services, one of which Sophie was spotted comforting her sister-in-law Princess Annette.

The tender moment happened as the family watched the Queen's coffin being carried into the Palace of Hollerood House in Edinburgh on Sunday.

The Queen's children and their spouses watched on in solemn silence as soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland carried the coffin to the Palace's throne room.

The Queen's coffin has since been brought to Buckingham Palace where several senior royals were standing waiting for her inside.

The wife of the Queen's youngest son showed her unwavering support to her husband this afternoon as she joined the royal family in procession to escort the Queen's coffin down Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

Wearing a black suit and a matching headpiece, Sophie looked sombre as she joined her fellow royals for the deeply solemn 1,200-yard procession, which took place in bright sunshine, with hundreds of well-wishers lining the city's oldest streets.

King Charles, in full military regalia, led his siblings on foot including the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, and the Princess Royal, while the Queen consort and other members of the monarchy followed in cars.

There were cheers, clapping and cries of “God save the King” as his limousine went along the Royal Mile and through the Scottish capital.

He then got out and spoke to crowds, thanking them for coming and their best wishes followed by the Queen consort, Camilla.

Prince Edward's wife, 57, was very close to her mother-in-law and was known as one of her closest confidants.

Her Majesty's daughter-in-law was often noted as the monarch's favourite family member after she married Prince Edward.

Sophie formed a close bond with the royal family after losing her own mother, Mary Rees Jones, to stomach cancer in 2005 aged 71, when her daughter Lady Louise Windsor was only two.

She was also extremely distraught following the death of the Duke Edinburgh and became the Queen's Rock following his funeral.

Sophie has spoken openly about her grief before, having previously spoken of a tragic miscarriage she suffered in 2001.

Meanwhile, in 2005, Sophie lost her mother.

The Countess opened up about her mother's death last year during a speech for Women's Institute members at their annual meeting in June 2021.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is expected to be made the Duchess of Edinburgh, and it is believed that Edward may inherit his late father Prince Philip's former title of the Duke of Edinburgh.