Sophie Wessex was 'rejected' by Meghan Markle as 'mentor' in favor of this royal

Meghan Markle reportedly "made it clear" that she did not want Sophie Wessex as a mentor when she first joined the royal family, after the Queen suggested that the Countess show her the ropes of The Firm.

• Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, has been married to Prince Edward since 1999 and has been a valuable senior member of the Royal Family for decades.
• It was reportedly suggested by the Queen that she helped Meghan Markle adjust to royal life when she first joined the Royal Family.
• In other royal news, Princess Anne borrowed outfit tips from Meghan Markle as she re-wore a stylish coat and silk scarf combo.

It has been suggested by royal experts that the Queen once suggested to Meghan Markle that she could gain knowledge about how to be married to royalty, from her new family member, the Countess of Wessex. However, it has been reported that the Duchess of Sussex was not keen on this idea and instead wanted to focus on learning the ropes from another royal.

In his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth said writes, "The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood that Harry's girl might find adjusting to Royal life 'challenging to begin with' (as she put it). 'It is very jolty, but you soon get used to it' – that was Her Majesty's experience going back many years."

"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," wrote Gyles.

The expert then revealed that the Duchess instead had her own ideas about who could assist her. "Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie's help. She had Harry," said Gyles. Of course, Prince Harry had not married into the Royal Family and so he could not impart the same wisdom as someone who could have perhaps related to Meghan more.

Like Meghan, Sophie did not come from an aristocratic background and had her own career before she married into the Royal Family. Sophie worked in PR and worked with a number of brands including Captial Radio. While working at Capital Radio, Sophie met Prince Edward in 1987 when he began dating her friend. 

In 1996, Sophie launched her public relations agency with her business partner, Murrary Harkin. The business was called RJH Public Relations. Sophie and Edward then met again in 1993 when they crossed paths at a charity promotion shoot for the Prince Edward Summer Challenge. After meeting again, the pair began dating and in 1999 they married.

Sophie was 34 when she married Prince Edward, and Meghan was also in her mid-thirtes when she tied the knot with Prince Harry at the age of 36. In comparison, Kate Middleton was 29 when she married, and had been linked to Prince William for the entirety of her adult life since she was a student at university. These comparisons between Meghan and Sophie suggest that the Countess of Wessex could have been in a position to help Meghan adjust in a way that the other married-in members of the Royal Family couldn't relate to.