Duchess of Edinburgh kept her distance from Princess Diana

The Duchess of Edinburgh was once careful to avoid being photographed alongside Princess Diana at a major royal wedding in the 1990s, a royal author has claimed.

Speaking exclusively to GB News, royal biographer Sean Smith revealed that the moment unfolded at the wedding of Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, to Daniel Chatto in July 1994.

Smith explained, “The first obvious sign of some tension occurred at the wedding of Princess Margaret’s popular daughter, Sarah Armstrong-Jones, to artist and actor Daniel Chatto.”

At the time, Sophie was still very new to royal life. In the summer of 1994, she was not yet married to Prince Edward, but as his long-term girlfriend, she was seen as someone who appeared to fit in well with the Royal Family even as she navigated the complicated dynamics of palace life.

“Diana rolled up to the wedding looking a million dollars and seemingly determined to be photographed next to Sophie so that she would win the fashion stakes in the following day’s papers,” Smith explained. 

“Sophie was wise to what was going on and made sure she was never standing next to the much taller Princess of Wales. Prince Edward and other members of the Royal Family were pleased, and even the Queen noticed Diana’s intention.”

At the time, she was still dating Prince Edward, not yet married into the monarchy, while Diana was one of the most famous women in the world her style and presence dominating headlines around the globe.

He suggested the incident highlighted Sophie’s early awareness of the pressures that came with joining the Royal Family. 

By steering clear of a side-by-side photo with Diana, she avoided being pulled into a fashion face-off that would inevitably spark comparisons.

Sophie’s careful approach paid off. Five years later, in 1999, she married Prince Edward at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and has since become one of the most trusted and respected members of the Royal Family.