Why Sophie, Countess of Wessex has been a more successful royal than Diana or Fergie

Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, have been married for 20 years, after tying the knot in 1999, having dated for five years.

Their marriage has stood the test of time, unlike Edward's elder brothers, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew.

Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and Prince Andrew wed Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Both couples went on to separate in 1992, and eventually divorce in 1996.

So, what exactly has helped Sophie Wessex to last within the royal family?

Royal expert and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward detailed in a biography about Edward in 1995 just how Sophie was able to transition into royal life, per The Express.

Given that she already had a successful public relations, it played a fundamental role in her ability to handle the pressures of being a royal.

"Being from a PR background, she was fully aware of the real world," one of the charter members of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Kevin Morley, told Seward.

"She knew what she was getting into."

While Fergie also had a background in public relations, Sophie was "careful not to upstage her royal paramour" which is the difference between the pair.

Meanwhile Diana was the total opposite of Sophie, and upstaged the Prince of Wales from the get-go.

As for Fergie, she became "over-excited by the outward trappings of royal life" and became known as "Freebie Fergie".

Sophie was also given a "careful and subtle introduction" into royal life, something Princess Diana and the Duchess of York came to "resent".

While it didn't work out for Diana and Fergie, Sophie became the Queen's "favourite", according to royal biographer Robert Jobson.

"She’s very much the Queen’s favourite, and you’ll notice that whenever there is a family holiday or gathering, Sophie and Edward often stay a while longer than the rest," he told The Telegraph in 2017.