In the fishbowl of royal life, there are very few people those at the very top can trust, so it must be a great joy and a relief to find an ally behind palace walls.
That is exactly what has happened for the Prince and Princess of Wales as they have both formed a close bond with the Duchess of Edinburgh over the years thanks to her dedication to duty, devotion to her charities and all-round discretion.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond spoke to OK! about the Duchess' close bond with the couple, as well as how both she and Prince Edward are the perfect bridge between two different royal generations.
Jennie explained: "Sometimes it seems strange to realise that these are two different generations of royals as they seem much closer. "But, especially after all that has happened - not only with the queen’s death but with Harry and Meghan leaving and Andrew getting “sacked” - the two couples have formed a tight bond. "I think William and Catherine feel they can confide in Edward and Sophie and there are so few people a royal can entrust with their thoughts and feelings. "Sophie, in particular, is a wonderfully empathetic woman.The late Queen regarded her as another daughter, and - apart from one unfortunate scam when she was tricked by a News of the World reporter - Sophie has never put a foot wrong. "And, because the age gap is not very great, she is a brilliant bridge between the generations. "She is so easy to be with as William obviously appreciates, which is why he invited her to Battersea Power Station with him.
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