“To help Meghan, the Queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. ‘Sophie can help show you the ropes,’ said the Queen. But Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie’s help. She had Harry.” Meghan and Sophie’s bond came under focus last year when they travelled together in the same car during the Queen’s state funeral and her coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

Sophie, who grew up in a middle-class family and founded a PR firm before joining the Royal Family, has been compared with Meghan – as they both underwent a huge transition upon joining the family. According to The Times, Sophie was the first member of the royal family to visit the Sussexes following the birth of Archie in 2019, going to the couple’s Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. And in a rare interview with The Sunday Times, Sophie compared her experiences to Meghan’s.

Speaking to the paper, she compared Meghan and Harry’s experience to hers with Edward, she commented: “Remember I’d had five years to adjust [to royal life]. And for our six-month engagement, I was even staying at Buckingham Palace. Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out.”

Speaking about the Sussexes exit from the firm, she added: “I just hope they will be happy.” But possibly more pointedly, she said that the royal family do all they can to try to assist new members to adjust to the royal life, adding: “We all try to help any new members of the family”.