Inside Queen’s touching afternoons with Prince Edward and Sophie’s children as they ‘spend quality time together’

SOPHIE, Countess of Wessex, has given a rare glimpse into her family's touching afternoons with the Queen.

The Countess of Wessex, 56, and her husband Prince Edward, 57, live just 11 miles from Her Majesty's residence at Windsor Castle, making it easy for them to have tea with the monarch "on a regular basis".

The proud parents, whose children Lady Louise, 18, and James, Viscount Severn, 14, live with them in Bagshot Park, Surrey, are understood to have spent Christmas Day with the Queen on Saturday.

And according to Sophie Wessex, the family is particularly "fortunate" to live so close to the monarch.

She told Royals Monthly: "We're a lot more fortunate because we live so close to the Queen, so when she spends a lot of time at Windsor on the weekends, our children are more fortunate because they can go over and have tea with her on a regular basis."

The Queen spends most of her private weekends at Windsor Castle, providing plenty of opportunities to spend time with her grandkids.

She and Prince Philip also locked down at the castle during the pandemic last year, with the Wessexes keeping them company throughout.

Sophie, who was said to have become the Queen's rock after Philip's death, said: "We used to see them stand on the balcony, which was about 20 feet up in the air.

"We’d see them waving. We’d shout at them and they’d shout back at us. It always seemed to be windy, so we could barely hear each other."

As well as Sophie and Edward's children, the Queen's grandchildren include Prince Charles' sons William and Harry; Princess Anne's children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall and Prince Andrew's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie.

But Sophie and Edward's kids are believed to be firm favourites with the Queen.

Royal author Phil Dampier previously told Fabulous: “Lady Louise is definitely a favourite of the Queen and I can see her having an important role in the Royal Family in the future.

'VERY CLOSE'

“Her Majesty sees a lot of Edward and Sophie and their children at Windsor Castle as they live nearby at Bagshot Park.

“The Queen is very close to her mother Sophie and of course there has always been a bond between them because Sophie nearly died giving birth and Louise has had her eye condition to cope with.

“But she has grown into a lovely and intelligent young woman and the Queen adores her.”

The Queen is understood to have spent Christmas this year with Prince Andrew, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, their husbands Edo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank and kids August and Sienna.

Mike and Zara Tindall, their children Mia, Lena and Lucas, as well as Prince Charles, Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also expected to be there.

The Cambridges and the Sussexes, however, spent Christmas in Norfolk and California respectively - and the Queen is yet to meet Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet.

She was one of four of the Queen's great-grandchildren born this year, joining Eugenie's son August Brooksbank, Zara Tindall's son Lucas Tindall and Princess Beatrice's newborn daughter Sienna Mapelli Mozzi.

The Queen's other great-grandchildren include Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Lena and Mia Tindall, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.