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The Edinburghs

The Earl and Countess of Wessex celebrate 20 years of marriage

There are celebrations in the royal household this week as the Earl and Countess of Wessex are celebrating 20 years of marriage on Wednesday.

The couple is marking the day privately alongside their two children, Lady Louise and James.

Prince Edward is the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s youngest child and married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999 at Windsor Castle.

The Earl of Wessex is the only child of The Queen who has not been divorced, and 20 years on his relationship with the Countess is as strong as ever.

Ahead of their anniversary, Edward and Sophie spent the day at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. They arrived at the racecourse via carriage alongside Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Their Royal Highnesses married in St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle on June 19 1999.

The wedding was a very relaxed affair when compared to other royal weddings as of late. Edward, with his brothers, Charles and Andrew, strolled to the church to wait for his bride who arrived in a Rolls-Royce, slightly late. Sophie had said she was concerned she might trip up the long staircase that led to St George’s Chapel, Windsor but on the day she stepped up it smoothly on the arm of her father, Christopher Rhys-Jones. Waiting for her were two pageboys and two bridesmaids, all in outfits inspired by the Order of the Garter which is so central to Windsor.

Edward said ahead of the big day: “We manage to have a good laugh about things most of the time, and we happen to love each other, which is the most important thing of all.”