It's been just over two months since The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, passed away and it's evident his family miss him more than ever. His daughter-in-law, Sophie The Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, just spoke candidly about how they're all coping following his sad death, and her words are likely very relatable to anybody who has lost a loved one.
During a discussion with Radio 5's Naga Munchetty, Sophie said that following the business of the funeral and immediate aftermath of the Duke of Edinburgh's passing, it's in the day-to-day moments that his loss is felt most keenly.
"It's only when you would do the normal things that you would have done with them, and you suddenly realise that they are not there, that you really start to have an 'Oh my goodness' moment," she explained, before adding, "Just talking to you now, it's a bit of an 'Oh my goodness' moment."
The BBC then note that it sounded as though Sophie became emotional and was holding back tears.
During the interview, Sophie also addressed the increased media attention that she and her family – Prince Edward (Philip and The Queen's youngest child), Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscoun Severn – have been experiencing in recent months. The Countess said that she hopes it will mean more attention is also given to the causes they care about.
"There is increased interest in us as a family but, if it raises more awareness of the issues I care about, then that can only be a good thing," she said, explaining that she would like to be an advocate for women who typically don't have a voice, such as survivors of rape in war.
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"People have to atone for it and that has to start at the top," Sophie added, suggesting that the difficult subject ought to be taught in schools.
As for how the family have been coping outside of Prince Philip's passing and with lockdown in general, The Countess remarked that they'd had the "odd wobble" like most people, but that watching Line Of Duty had been a good distraction.
"I just couldn't see an end to it [lockdown life], I couldn't visualise how this was all going to pan out... Life, all the normal things that we could do, had just, it was like sand through your hands," she recalled. "We all got very good at managing disappointment."
Now, she added, the family are playing the waiting game like the rest of us, "Every time there is a new variant, we just have to hold our breath and hope that the vaccines are good enough to stand up against them. So, how am I? Like everybody else I suppose: just taking one day at a time."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
