ASCOT, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 18: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex attends day 3, Ladies Day, of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2015 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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ASCOT, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 18: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex attends day 3, Ladies Day, of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2015 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
每當伊莉莎白女王出席皇室活動時,不難發現某位皇室成員經常陪伴在女王身邊,甚至跟女王互動親密有說有笑,低調的她有「皇室隱形人」之稱,或許這位王妃的知名度不及凱特王妃及梅根等成員,不過她絕非一簡單人物!
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Edward and Saphie, the new Earl and Countess of Wessex on their wedding day in Windsor on June 19, 1999. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
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Edward and Saphie, the new Earl and Countess of Wessex on their wedding day in Windsor on June 19, 1999. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

英國皇室蘇菲伯爵夫人(Sophie, countess of Wessex)是伊麗莎白女王最小的兒子愛德華王子(Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex)的夫人,兩人自網球比賽中相識,談了長達 6 年的戀愛決定攜手終生,蘇菲王妃嫁入皇室後生下了露易絲溫莎女勳爵與塞文子爵詹姆斯。

蘇菲王妃腳踏實地、低調謙虛的為人及優秀的工作能力深受皇室重用與喜愛,甚至成為最受女王寵愛的成員,究竟她有何魅力?以下透過五個小故事帶你認識這位英國皇室不可或缺的重要成員!

延伸閱讀:終於被英國皇室認可?英女王慶登基70週年前夕宣布:我希望卡蜜拉能成為「王后」

1. 優秀的公關領導者

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PETERBOROUGH, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 24: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex (in her role as Honorary Air Commodore, Royal Air Force Wittering) opens the new Centenary Play Park during a visit to RAF Wittering on April 24, 2019 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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PETERBOROUGH, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 24: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex (in her role as Honorary Air Commodore, Royal Air Force Wittering) opens the new Centenary Play Park during a visit to RAF Wittering on April 24, 2019 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

蘇菲王妃進入皇室前從事廣告與媒體相關工作,事業觸角更延伸至瑞士及澳洲等地,累積相當豐富的工作經驗,不僅如此還與事業夥伴共同創立自己的公關公司,1999 年嫁入皇室後依然管理公司職務,直到 2001 年才離開公司,全心投入皇室職務。

2. 全職的皇室工作者

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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 10: Queen Elizabeth II (R) with Sophie, Countess of Wessex (L) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex during her reception to celebrate the patronages & affiliations of the Earl and Countess of Wessex at Buckingham Palace on February 10, 2015 in London, England (Photo by Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 10: Queen Elizabeth II (R) with Sophie, Countess of Wessex (L) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex during her reception to celebrate the patronages & affiliations of the Earl and Countess of Wessex at Buckingham Palace on February 10, 2015 in London, England (Photo by Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

英國皇室成員每天都有大大小小的職務,而且忙碌程度超乎我們想像,舉凡外交出訪、參與會議、招待來訪賓客等行政工作,還有包含旅宿分配、回覆信件及與各式組織接洽等後勤的工作需要處理,而蘇菲王妃正是少數全職皇室工作者的其中一員。

她不僅擔任 7 個軍職,還負責 70 多家慈善機構及組織的贊助者,每年都會到各個學校、軍事基地和慈善機構進行上百次的訪問。

在哈利王子與梅根辭去皇室身分一職後,工作量也大幅提升,根據統計,蘇菲王妃與愛德華王子目前一年執行 500 項皇室工作,比凱特王妃和威廉王子夫婦還要忙碌。不僅如此,蘇菲王妃一個人在 2019 年就執行 236 項皇室職責,遠超過任何皇室配偶。

3. 最受女王寵愛的皇室成員

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, straightens Sophie, The Countess of Wessex's hat, while the wait to attend the Christmas Day service at the Sandringham Church.   (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, straightens Sophie, The Countess of Wessex's hat, while the wait to attend the Christmas Day service at the Sandringham Church.   (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

根據親近皇室的相關人士透露,公關出身的蘇菲王妃在皇室職務上深受女王認可與信賴,她體貼大方卻低調不搶鋒頭的個性讓她成為最受女王寵愛的對象,能讓女王在公開場合大方替她整理帽子儀容,可見女王真的很喜愛蘇菲王妃這個後輩。

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<<enter caption here>> at  on June 15, 2016 in Ascot, England.
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<<enter caption here>> at  on June 15, 2016 in Ascot, England.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Queen Elizabeth II and Sophie, Countess of Wessex attend a reception to celebrate the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace on October 29, 2019 in London, England.  (Photo by Kirsty O'Connor - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Queen Elizabeth II and Sophie, Countess of Wessex attend a reception to celebrate the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace on October 29, 2019 in London, England.  (Photo by Kirsty O'Connor - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

不管是工作還是心理層面女王都相當依賴蘇菲王妃,尤其在菲利普親王離世,女王陷入悲傷期間,蘇菲王妃一心一意陪伴在女王身邊替她分擔職務,有時甚至還會留在溫莎城堡過夜陪女王談心,才讓女王漸漸走出傷痛,在許多皇室公開場合上也能看見蘇菲王妃與女王有說有笑的畫面,能讓女王笑得如此開心,就知道她有多受女王喜愛,就連皇室大臣們也都曾開玩笑說蘇菲的出現讓愛德華王子「失寵」。

4. 調和皇室情感的重要角色

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<<enter caption here>> at Royal Albert Hall on June 4, 2015 in London, England.
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<<enter caption here>> at Royal Albert Hall on June 4, 2015 in London, England.
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<<enter caption here>> on June 4, 2011 in Epsom, England.
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<<enter caption here>> on June 4, 2011 in Epsom, England.

不僅和女王有著親密的關係,已逝的菲利普親王也相當疼愛蘇菲王妃,或許與婚前優秀的公關背景有關,蘇菲王妃不管是在職務上還是家族內都累積好人緣,更是皇室家族之間感情的調劑。

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MILNTHORPE, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 09: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Sophie, Countess of Wessex visit the Westmorland County Show on September 9, 2021 in Milnthorpe, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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MILNTHORPE, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 09: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Sophie, Countess of Wessex visit the Westmorland County Show on September 9, 2021 in Milnthorpe, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Sophie, Countess of Wessex attend day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at Wimbledon on July 8, 2015 in London, England.  (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Sophie, Countess of Wessex attend day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at Wimbledon on July 8, 2015 in London, England.  (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13:  TRH Prince Harry, Lady Louise Windsor and her mother Sophie, Countess of Wessex  look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 13, 2009 in London, England. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. In 1748, it was decided that the parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign. More than 600 guardsmen and cavalry make up the parade, a celeb
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13:  TRH Prince Harry, Lady Louise Windsor and her mother Sophie, Countess of Wessex  look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 13, 2009 in London, England. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. In 1748, it was decided that the parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign. More than 600 guardsmen and cavalry make up the parade, a celeb

與安妮長公主也猶如朋友般親近,和威廉及哈利兩兄弟還是可以打鬧的關係,出席公開活動都能看見蘇菲王妃與兩兄弟交談甚歡,相互開玩笑的畫面。

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10:  (L-R) Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Cahterine, Duchess of Cambridge attend Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph on Whitehall on November 10, 2013 in London, England.  (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10:  (L-R) Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Cahterine, Duchess of Cambridge attend Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph on Whitehall on November 10, 2013 in London, England.  (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
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ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 19:  (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Royal Ascot Day 1 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2018 in Ascot, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 19:  (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Royal Ascot Day 1 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2018 in Ascot, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

嫁入皇室前,蘇菲王妃也跟凱特王妃、梅根一樣過著平凡的平民生活,在兩人加入皇室大家庭後,也由蘇菲王妃教導她們皇室相關規範及禮儀,與凱特王妃的交情非常好,可說是忘年的閨蜜,在任何活動都能捕捉到彼此有說有笑的身影,兩人甚至還會私下相約一起看溫布頓網球錦標賽。

當然,在梅根與哈利王子完婚後,蘇菲王妃也試圖幫助梅根融入家庭,就連梅根與哈利兩人決定卸下皇室職務到美國以新身份展開生活,蘇菲王妃也說「我只希望他們會幸福」等話來祝福兩人。蘇菲王妃的好人緣成為穩定皇室的力量,無疑成為皇室成員之間重要的調和劑。

延伸閱讀:先別管梅根與哈利了,這 14 個英國皇室的超嚴格「潛規則」哪個最讓你傻眼?

5. 忙碌之餘投入公益

根據英國皇室網站記載,蘇菲王妃是 70 多家慈善機構的贊助人,重視兒童與青少年福利,不僅加入了英國全國防止虐待兒童協會,還與愛德華王子還創立的「威塞克斯青年信託基金」,旨在幫助、支持和發展註冊慈善機構,為兒童和青少年提供特殊的機會,包括醫院和收容所、兒童保護和藥物預防計劃、市中心的臨時中心、性教育倡議、特殊教育需求圖書館、體育設施和藝術團體。威塞克斯青年信託基金在其成功的兩個十年中向 180 多個事業捐贈了超過 250 萬英鎊。

同時蘇菲王妃也相當關注婦女相關議題,在英國有相當多女性因更年期而辭去工作,她還透過影片希望企業打造友善環境,為更年期女性提供更多支持,呼籲雇主簽署「停經職場保證書」確保女性權益,也經常倡導婦女和平與預防衝突性暴力等議題。

自 2003 年一直擔任國際防盲機構 (IAPB) 的全球大使,英國疫情肆虐期間,也在聖約翰救護車疫苗接種中心做志願者,能在忙碌的公務中投入慈善事業,令人相當敬佩。

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Vera Chen
Fashion Editor, Tatler Taiwan
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Fashion Editor 時尚編輯

vera.chen@tatlerasia.com