A royal author has shared what Queen Elizabeth’s first thoughts of Duchess Sophie were when they met at Windsor Castle for the first time (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Before Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was known as one of the most trusted members of the Firm, she was given the daunting task of getting to know the royal family as she enjoyed the early days of her relationship with Prince Edward.

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During the couple’s courtship, Edward invited Sophie to Windsor Castle to meet his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth. As the two women met for the first time, Her Majesty reportedly made a stinging remark about her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, but the comment actually turned out to be a compliment.

A royal author has recalled Sophie’s first meeting with the late Queen, and how the monarch’s first impression of the Duchess was actually a commentary on another problematic member of the royal family. It comes after Kate Middleton halts summer break to release new video with emotional statement.

A royal author has recounted the late Queen’s first impression of Duchess Sophie(Image: Getty Images)

Author Sean Smith lifted the curtain on the Windsor Castle visit in his new biography on the Duchess’s life, titled Sophie, as he revealed Edward’s valet Brian gave an “anxious” Sophie advice so she could avoid any of the common faux pas visitors encounter when meeting the royals for the first time.

Sophie was then immediately thrown into the deep end when she joined Queen Elizabeth II for lunch, after Brian had told her a “white lie” to say the meal would take place in a large dining room with minimal contact with the Queen.

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