Sophie Countess Of Wessex Startled By Gun Salute During RAF Centenary Celebration

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, was caught on camera cringing during the RAF celebration.

On Tuesday, the royals reunited for the Royal Air Force centenary celebration. Sophie stood on the Buckingham balcony beside her husband, Prince Edward.

In a clip shared by Daily Mail, everyone was standing quietly waiting for the national anthem to begin. Suddenly, Sophie jumped and was startled by a gun salute. The royal quickly regained her composure as she smiled and stood straight for the opening bars of "God Save The Queen."

According to the publication, Sophie was not the only person who was startled by the gun salute. BBC viewers heard someone shout "[expletive] hell" during its live coverage.

"Special mention to the bloke next to a camera on TV who shouted '[expletive] hell' when the RAF on parade fired their blanks, following it up with '[expletive], sorry, sorry!'. Best of British," Jake Bishop wrote on Twitter.

In related news, Prince Edward reportedly wants to raise his and Sophie's profile due to Meghan Markle. According to Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy of Daily Mail, there is a theory among courtiers suggesting that the "Earl of Wessex fears he and his wife Sophie are in danger of being eclipsed from the excitement of the royal show. He wants to raise their profile."

According to previous reports, Sophie has been the Queen's favorite family companion for years. However, the monarch has the same fondness for the Duchess of Sussex.

In June, Queen Elizabeth II invited Markle to accompany her for her trip to Cheshire. They rode on her personal train, an honor that only the senior royals enjoy. In fact, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton haven't used it yet.

Queen Elizabeth II and Markle went to Chester to unveil its new bridge and to open the Storyhouse Theatre. Following their first engagement together, Her Majesty invited Markle again for the Queen's Young Leaders Awards ceremony.

According to Francesca Specter, a journalist for Daily Express, the invitation was another honor from the Queen. The program was launched in 2014 and while a number of royals were invited to the event, Middleton had never been to it.