The Duchess of Edinburgh is a beloved member of the Royal Family and often referred to as King Charles' 'secret weapon'. In the 25 years since she married Prince Edward, she has frequently shown her dedication to her key charitable interests, ranging from preventable blindness to gender equality, However, her introduction into life as a member of the most famous family in the world came with an unexpected - and sporting - twist and largely due to a last-minute change by a well-known BBC presenter and tennis star.
Sophie first crossed paths with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1993 at the Queen's Tennis Club in London during the Prince Edward Summer Challenge.
At that time, Sophie was handling PR for the event with MacLaurin Communications. Brian McLaurin, Sophie's boss, suggested a photo call at the event to generate interest in the Prince's Challenge, associated with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.
A promotional campaign was planned with former tennis star and BBC presenter Sue Barker. However, just an hour before the meeting, Brian received news that Sue couldn't make it and asked his colleague Sophie to participate in the shoot with the prince, reports the Mirror.
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