Prince Edward, 59, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, are no longer styled as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, but rather as the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Although both are working royals, the Edinburghs are more low-key than couples such as William and Kate or Harry and Meghan.
Judi James, a professional body language expert spoke to Express.co.uk to analyse how Sophie and Edward as a couple and why they are so unique.
She said: “Calm, jolly and down-to-earth, Sophie and Edward are like an oasis of calm currently in a royal Firm that is buffeted by dramas.
“Both Edward and Sophie, and their relationship, seem to ripen with age. Edward might have been rumoured to be the late Queen’s most indulged child and photos of his early years show him the centre of doting attention from his parents and his siblings, 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.
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“He 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.”
Judi argues that Edward’s relationship with Sophie broke with tradition compared to what had come before.
She opined: “His engagement to Sophie lacked the fairytale drama of Charles and Diana and the openly flirtatious sizzle of Andrew and Fergie.
“Sophie wore a grey business suit and looked sensible and practical rather than the star of another royal rom-com.
“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.”
According to the body language expert, Sophie and Edward are a great match for a key reason.
Judi continued: “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.
“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.”
