Something that few remember—or perhaps never knew—is that Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was not present at Princess Diana’s funeral.
This has raised questions over the years, but now a new book sheds light on the real reason.
According to Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, written by Sean Smith, her absence had to do with a very particular detail: the physical resemblance between the two was, it was said, too striking.
Apparently, Sophie thought that attending could be emotionally confusing for the public. A friend of hers, quoted in the book, explained that she feared that, from a distance, people might mistake her for Diana, and she did not think that was appropriate.
“She decided it would be too upsetting for the crowd if she went,” was the exact phrase used by the source. And the royal family, according to the author, fully supported her.
If you look at photos from that time, the resemblance is striking: short blonde hair, light eyes, soft features. Sophie herself acknowledged it at the time, although she humbly pointed out the differences.
“I don’t deny that we do look alike. But I could never compete with Diana’s image. I’m not Diana,” she said in an interview in the late 1990s.
At that time, Sophie was not yet a duchess. She worked in public relations and was dating Prince Edward. Her official incorporation into the royal family came in 1999, two years after Diana’s funeral.
Since then, she has become an important member of the British royal family, building a solid career with her own causes.