Queen Elizabeth Has Tapped This Royal As ‘Unofficial Mentor’ For Meghan Markle

She’s been a member of the royal family for more than a year but is still facing criticism for trying to do things her own way and seemingly break royal protocol. However, Queen Elizabeth is making sure that Meghan Markle receives guidance on how to navigate her royal life from another royal who has had similar feelings.

According to royal expert Katie Nicholl in a report for Grazia (via Express UK), the Queen has personally asked Sophie, Countess of Wessex, to share some tips with Markle and serve as her mentor as she continues navigating the tricky world of being in the royal family. She allegedly chose her son, Prince Edward’s, wife because she has a similar background to the former actress, who married Prince Harry last year.

“The Queen has earmarked Sophie as a royal mentor for Meghan,” she said. “The two spent time together at Royal Ascot last year and are understood to get along well. The pair share similar backgrounds, as Sophie, like Meghan, gave up a successful career in PR to marry into the royal family, so is in a position to help Meghan.”

Similarly, Sophie makes a good mentor for Markle because she and her husband, Prince Edward, have also eschewed giving their children Prince and Princess titles in order to avoid more of the public spotlight. They did, however, give their children secondary titles—James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise Windsor.

Markle and Prince Harry, meanwhile, have decided not to give their son any titles at all, and have simply styled his name as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. It’s unclear if he will eventually assume one of Prince Harry’s secondary titles, like Earl of Dumbarton, when he gets older.

Still, the similarities between the women have reportedly made the Queen certain that Sophie is the one who can properly guide Markle, as she may keep her children out of the limelight, but still acknowledges royal life in a certain way.

“The Queen likes the idea of Sophie being an unofficial mentor to Meghan,” a source said in the report (via Daily Mail). “Sophie is often at Windsor taking the kids riding on the Queen’s horses and playing at the castle. It’s a quiet lifestyle, very much the kind Harry and Meghan want for their little one.”