The Wessex Family: Healthy, Happy and Full of Christmas Joy

In the past few months all the news seems to be about is Britney Spears's latest breakdown, Amy Winehouse's drug use and Kate Moss's acne problem.

So when Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex were pictured leaving hospital with their newborn son, known only as Viscount Severn at the moment, it was thrilling to see a happily married couple (which in the media nowadays is very rare) full of pride with the new addition to the their family (Sophie's troubles having children were discussed in another post earlier this week).

Sophie was smiling broadly. She looked healthy, her colour was good (who can remember how pale she looked when she left hospital after Louise's traumatic birth) and she looked as though she was the happiest woman in the world, and at the moment, I'm sure that is how she feels. Edward, obviously relieved that both his wife and child came out of the labour healthily, was pictured holding his son as though his life depended on it.

Although the Windsor children grow up to be attractive adults, they don't make for pretty babies but Viscount Severn, with his cute upturned nose looks as though he breaks that trend! It seems that he takes after his mother more, while Louise could be the twin of the Queen when she was that age.

HM The Queen is extraordinarily close to Sophie. The two woman bonded from the start of Edward and Sophie's relationship, and that immediately caused Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah Ferguson to take a instant dislike to Sophie. They teased her, snubbed her and were openly rude to her at royal events. They spoke down about her, as though she wasn't high enough in the class system to marry into the ultimate British family. But despite this, or maybe because of this, the Queen took a instant fancy to Sophie and after Louise's traumatic birth, the two women became, if it was possible, even closer. Sophie, who was recovering after the birth spend days and days with HM who, at that time, was herself recovering from a knee injury. The two now have a unbreakable bond, and HM was said to be delighted with her latest grandchild and cannot wait to meet him. Touching evidence of their bond came when, after nearly dying after losing almost all her blood after having Louise, HM dropped everything to visit her daughter-in-law. Some say the Queen was scared stiff she may lose her friend, the woman whom she refers to as 'my daughter'.

Both of Sophie's parents, Christopher and Mary Rhys-Jones were welcomed into the Windsor clan, something that Johnny Spencer was not, nor Ronald Ferguson. Christopher, a car tyre salesman long since retired was not of the nobility, like Johnny Spencer, who in fact, worked for HM The Queen as a Equerry in the 1950's. Ronald Ferguson, Prince Charles's polo manager, was seen as a lowly servant and also was not invited. Yet, when Christopher lost his wife to cancer a year or so ago, HM and Prince Phillip took the unusual step of inviting him to Sandringham for the Christmas holidays so he would not be lonely. This act alone shows how close Sophie is to her famous mother-in-law.

Almost by design, Louise, Sophie and Edwards four year old daughter resembles HM so much that when a picture was taken of her a year ago, one reporter claimed that Louise, if born the same time as HM could easily be her twin. Both Diana's boys resemble the Spencer's and Sarah Ferguson's daughter's resemble their parents.

The Wessex's have been married now for eight years, nine next June. There hasn't been a single story of marital ruckus. They seem to be protected, and I'm sure that Sophie's closeness to the Queen is partly responsible for this. It's brilliant if you think that eight years into the Wales marriage, Charles and Diana had stopped sleeping together, barely tolerated each other and were revving up for the War of the Wales's. Andrew and Sarah were already separated and heading for the divorce courts after.

So, I've never been happier for a royal couple then I am for Edward and Sophie. Their family, one can now assume is complete. I wish them well and I hope that 2008 is a happy and fulfilling year for the nice couple of the Royal Family.