Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex have given their first major interview since marrying in 1999. Getty Images
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex have given their first major interview since marrying in 1999. Getty Images
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex have given their first major interview since marrying in 1999. Getty Images
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex have given their first major interview since marrying in 1999. Getty Images

Family

'What interview?' Edward and Sophie laugh off Harry and Meghan's Oprah Winfrey appearance

The royal couple were speaking from their Surrey home in their first major talk since their wedding more than two decades ago

Farah Andrews
Farah Andrews
Dubai

June 06, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

In their first major interview together since they married in 1999, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, have opened up about the loss of Prince Philip, life as working royals and, of course, Harry and Meghan's explosive Oprah Winfrey appearance.

In the Telegraph interview, Camilla Tominey "sheepishly" asked the couple if they watched the Winfrey interview, describing them as "looking at each other as if to dare the other to speak first".

"Oprah who?" replied Prince Edward, while Sophie said, "Yes, what interview?"

British Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones leave St George's Chapel at Windsor after their wedding Saturday 19 June 1999 . EPA
British Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones leave St George's Chapel at Windsor after their wedding Saturday 19 June 1999 . EPA

Following on from the skirted subject, Tominey then recalls telling the couple about the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend Justin Welby, "apparently having a long conversation with Winfrey at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 without having a clue who she was".

To which Sophie replied: "You know, if you’re not into chat shows, there’s no reason why you should know who she is. Certainly not in this country, anyway."

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Prince Edward is the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The royal reflected on the April death of his father in the interview.

Speaking of the fact that he will assume his father's role as the Duke of Edinburgh when his brother, Prince Charles, becomes king, he said: "It’s a very bittersweet role to take on because the only way the title can come to me is after both my parents have actually passed away.

"It has to go back to the crown first. My father was very keen that the title should continue, but he didn't quite move quickly enough with Andrew, so it was us who he eventually had the conversation with. It was a lovely idea, a lovely thought."

Speaking of his father's funeral, he said: "It was extraordinarily odd walking into St George’s Chapel and finding the nave completely empty."

While the countess said: "I think the fact that there were so few of us only served to raise the intensity of it."

Look back at the stye evolution of Sophie, Countess of Wessex here: 

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh wearing a Victoria Beckham dress at a charity lunch in London, March 2017. Getty Images
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh wearing a Victoria Beckham dress at a charity lunch in London, March 2017. Getty Images
The duchess, in a lace dress and cream coat, and King Charles attend the wedding of Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Maxima Zorreguieta in February 2002 in Amsterdam. Getty Images
The duchess, in a lace dress and cream coat, and King Charles attend the wedding of Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Maxima Zorreguieta in February 2002 in Amsterdam. Getty Images
The duchess in red satin and Prince Edward arrive for a reception hosted by the Norwegian government in Trondheim, Norway, in May 2002. Getty Images
The duchess in red satin and Prince Edward arrive for a reception hosted by the Norwegian government in Trondheim, Norway, in May 2002. Getty Images
The Duchess of Edinburgh in a two-tone strapless gown, and Prince Edward arrive for the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, in May 2002. Getty Images
The Duchess of Edinburgh in a two-tone strapless gown, and Prince Edward arrive for the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, in May 2002. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in brown suede, attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2003 at Windsor Castle, England. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in brown suede, attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2003 at Windsor Castle, England. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a formal black coat, attend the National Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for members of the armed forces killed in the Iraq war in London, October 2003. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a formal black coat, attend the National Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for members of the armed forces killed in the Iraq war in London, October 2003. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in taupe separates, leave Frimley Park Hospital in November 2003 in Surrey, England. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in taupe separates, leave Frimley Park Hospital in November 2003 in Surrey, England. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in pink satin, attend the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral in May 2004 in Copenhagen. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in pink satin, attend the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral in May 2004 in Copenhagen. Getty Images
The duchess, in a baby blue two-piece, visits Collingwood College on her 40th birthday in January 2005 in Surrey, England. Getty Images
The duchess, in a baby blue two-piece, visits Collingwood College on her 40th birthday in January 2005 in Surrey, England. Getty Images
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a feather-trimmed hat, and Prince Edward take part in Monaco's National Day celebrations at Monaco Cathedral in November 2005. Getty Images
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a feather-trimmed hat, and Prince Edward take part in Monaco's National Day celebrations at Monaco Cathedral in November 2005. Getty Images
The duchess, in an LBD, arrives at the ChildLine & Mission Enfance Royal gala dinner at Banqueting House in March 2006 in London. Getty Images
The duchess, in an LBD, arrives at the ChildLine & Mission Enfance Royal gala dinner at Banqueting House in March 2006 in London. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a checked coat, arrive at a Service of Thanksgiving held to mark the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II in St Paul's Cathedral in London, June 2006. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in a checked coat, arrive at a Service of Thanksgiving held to mark the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II in St Paul's Cathedral in London, June 2006. Getty Images
Sophie, in a caped grey dress, arrives at the unveiling of a new statue of the Queen Mother on the Mall in February 2009 in London. Getty Images
Sophie, in a caped grey dress, arrives at the unveiling of a new statue of the Queen Mother on the Mall in February 2009 in London. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in lace-trimmed navy, attend a pre-wedding dinner for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling at Eric Ericson Hall in June 2010, Stockholm. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in lace-trimmed navy, attend a pre-wedding dinner for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling at Eric Ericson Hall in June 2010, Stockholm. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, in a taupe chiffon gown, attend the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling on June 19, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty Images
Prince Edward and Sophie, in a taupe chiffon gown, attend the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling on June 19, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty Images
The Duchess of Edinburgh, in a strappy red dress, and Prince Edward attend a gala dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in April 2011, London. Getty Images
The Duchess of Edinburgh, in a strappy red dress, and Prince Edward attend a gala dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in April 2011, London. Getty Images
Sophie, in a metallic dress coat, leaves Westminster Abbey after attending the annual Commonwealth Day Observance Service in March 2012, London. Getty Images
Sophie, in a metallic dress coat, leaves Westminster Abbey after attending the annual Commonwealth Day Observance Service in March 2012, London. Getty Images
Sophie, in navy tailoring, and Lady Louise Windsor leave a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in June 2012, London. Getty Images
Sophie, in navy tailoring, and Lady Louise Windsor leave a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in June 2012, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in a cream coat, attends the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2014, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in a cream coat, attends the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2014, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in a purple coat, attends the dedication ceremony of a new memorial at The National Memorial Arboretum in October 2014 in Stafford, England. Getty Images
The duchess, in a purple coat, attends the dedication ceremony of a new memorial at The National Memorial Arboretum in October 2014 in Stafford, England. Getty Images
Queen Consort Camilla and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in Suzannah, attend the Order of the Garter Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in June 2015. Getty Images
Queen Consort Camilla and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in Suzannah, attend the Order of the Garter Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in June 2015. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in lavender chiffon, attend a gala marking the 60th anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh Award at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, England, June 2016. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in lavender chiffon, attend a gala marking the 60th anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh Award at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, England, June 2016. Getty Images
The duchess attends the National Service of Thanksgiving as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II at The Guildhall in June 2016, London. Getty Images
The duchess attends the National Service of Thanksgiving as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II at The Guildhall in June 2016, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in Alaia, and Prince Edward attend the dedication service of the Iraq and Afghanistan memorial at Horse Guards Parade in March 2017, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in Alaia, and Prince Edward attend the dedication service of the Iraq and Afghanistan memorial at Horse Guards Parade in March 2017, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in Emilia Wickstead, and Philip May visit Kew Gardens during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in Emilia Wickstead, and Philip May visit Kew Gardens during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018, London. Getty Images
The duchess, in Suzannah, arrives for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel in May 2018, Windsor. Getty Images
The duchess, in Suzannah, arrives for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel in May 2018, Windsor. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in Alaia, arrive at a reception to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace in January 2020. Getty Images
Prince Edward and the duchess, in Alaia, arrive at a reception to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace in January 2020. Getty Images
The duchess, in a cyan gown, arrives at the biennial Rifles Awards Dinner at the City of London Guildhall in November 2021. Getty Images
The duchess, in a cyan gown, arrives at the biennial Rifles Awards Dinner at the City of London Guildhall in November 2021. Getty Images
The duchess, in a cream coat and matching hat, attends the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in London, along with Prince Edward in March 2023. PA
The duchess, in a cream coat and matching hat, attends the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in London, along with Prince Edward in March 2023. PA
The duchess, in a pink Catherine Walker coat and cream knee-high boots, and Prince Edward depart the Easter Sunday service at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle in April 2023. EPA
The duchess, in a pink Catherine Walker coat and cream knee-high boots, and Prince Edward depart the Easter Sunday service at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle in April 2023. EPA
The duchess, in a snake print Emilia Wickstead skirt and satin blouse, at a summit by learning disability charity Mencap at St Bartholomew's Hospital in April 2023. EPA
The duchess, in a snake print Emilia Wickstead skirt and satin blouse, at a summit by learning disability charity Mencap at St Bartholomew's Hospital in April 2023. EPA
The duchess, in a satin blouse and turquoise trousers, during a visit to the Bagshot Women's Institute to celebrate their centenary, Bagshot, Surrey, April 2023. PA
The duchess, in a satin blouse and turquoise trousers, during a visit to the Bagshot Women's Institute to celebrate their centenary, Bagshot, Surrey, April 2023. PA
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%203120%20x%201440%2C%20505ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%203%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2014%2C%20One%20UI%206.1%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2050MP%20periscope%20telephoto%20f%2F3.4%20with%205x%20optical%2F10x%20optical%20quality%20zoom%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%20with%203x%20optical%20zoom%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%3B%20100x%20Space%20Zoom%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4030%2F60%2F120fps%2C%20full-HD%4030%2F60%2F240fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20up%20to%201.5m%20of%20freshwater%20up%20to%2030%20minutes%3B%20dust-resistant%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20dual%20eSIM%20(varies%20in%20different%20markets)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Titanium%20black%2C%20titanium%20grey%2C%20titanium%20violet%2C%20titanium%20yellow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGalaxy%20S24%20Ultra%2C%20USB-C-to-C%20cable%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh5%2C099%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C599%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C599%20for%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Key facilities
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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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