@Gefn The special bond between The Queen and the Countess of WessexGood Housekeeping/UK, Sep 2022
In the last week, Sophie, The Countess of Wessex, has been called Queen Elizabeth’s "second daughter"; and indeed, the depth of her clearly felt grief has been striking. According to royal expert Jennie Bond, who knew her before she married The Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward, the relationship between mother and daughter-in-law became stronger and stronger as the years passed.
“They genuinely liked one another, and they spent a lot of time together,” says Bond, who was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years, and who has been reporting on The Royal Family for three decades. “They seemed to very much enjoy one another’s company. I think it was very much a two-way relationship. It wasn’t just about an adoration of the queen by Sophie; it was a mutual friendship.”
More:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/lifestyle/a41225371/sophie-wessex-royal-family/