The royals need a Rhys-Jones

Despite the uncanny physical resemblance to the Princess of Wales, Sophie Rhys-Jones exhibits all the characteristics required for coping with life inside Britain8217;s strangest family that Diana so evidently lacked. Asthe future wife of the fifth in line to the throne, Rhys-Jones will never be forced, like Diana, to carry the burden of being Britain8217;s future queen. But her background suggests that she will be ready for the media attention that will inevitably follow the announcement of her engagement to Prince Edward.Importantly, she has a professional life outside the ribbon-cutting and speech-making of royal engagements. After three years as a press officer for London8217;s Capital Radio, she moved to public relations firm MacLaurin Communications and Media before leaving in 1995 to co-found R-JH, another PR agency of which she is, and will continue to be, chairwoman.

Diana, by contrast, was an inexperienced 19-year-old nursery nurse when Charles proposed to her. Also unlike Diana, Rhys-Jones is no stranger to romance: the Sun newspaper profiled seven of her former lovers, including Australian ski instructor Michael O8217;Neill and German lawyer Jan Hassenberg. None had anything but praise for her.

The comments of friends ofher family in Brenchley, Kent, where she was raised and where her parents Christopher and Mary still live, speak volumes: they remember her as 8220;a nice little girl8221;, 8220;lovely8221;, 8220;ordinary8221;, 8220;pleasant and attractive and well-mannered8221;, from a 8220;very normal family8221;. Buckingham Palace has been keen to play up her normality in its ongoing attempt to respond to the public dissatisfaction with the monarchy that exploded after Diana8217;s death.

This week8217;s engagement 8212; which comes 11 years after the prince and Rhys-Jones first met at a charity event, and five years after their courtship began 8212; is undoubtedly a PR coup for the beleaguered House of Windsor. All the Queen8217;s other children have endured much-publicised marriage break-ups, and the hostility directed against the monarchy since Diana died has only recently begun to abate.

8220;It8217;s impossible for anybody else to understand why it has taken me so long,8221; Edward told reporters, as the couple posed for photographs and showed off Rhys-Jones8217;striple-diamond and white gold engagement ring from the royal jeweller8217;s Asprey8217;s amp; Garrard. 8220;Hopefully, the fact that she has said yes means I8217;ve got the timing right.8221;

The British media greeted the announcement with predictable saturation coverage. But if any member of the royal family can cope with the inevitable media onslaught to come, it is Edward. His very oddness by comparison with his brothers could now prove to be his 8212; and his marriage8217;s 8212; saving grace. After following his brothers to the elite Scottish school of Gordonstoun, he abandoned the military career expected of the monarch8217;s sons, joining the Royal Marines in 1982 but resigning his commission five years later to work with Andrew Lloyd Webber.

His choice of profession, along with his extended bachelorhood, prompted fervent tabloid speculation about his sexuality, though he was simultaneously linked with a string of aristocrats and celebrities including Georgia May, the daughter of a millionaire boat-builder, and Swedish-born TVpresenter Ulrika Jonsson. Signalling his intention to live more in the manner of a continental royal 8212; combining official duties with a real world8217; career 8212; Edward has let it be known that he intends to continue in his current post as managing director of Ardent Productions, a film and TV company. He has demonstrated an acute awareness of the pressures of the public spotlight, and in the early days of the relationship issued an open letter to British newspaper editors asking for their understanding. 8220;I am very conscious that other members of my family have been subjected to similar attention,8221; he wrote, 8220;and it has not been at all beneficial to their relationships.8221;

Rhys-Jones8217;s ability to withstand such attention will be crucial to the success of the marriage. She admitted that she found the prospect of joining the royal family 8220;slightly nerve-wracking8221;, but gave every impression of being able to deal with it. 8220;Getting married is a very personal thing,8221; she told reporters. 8220;Naturally there isgoing to be more interest in us than in other people, but it is a personal matter and a family occasion.8221;

Prince Edward, the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II8217;s sons who announced his engagement, disclosed that he proposed only after his television production company was up and running. The prince, who was, like his bride-to-be Sophie Rhys-Jones, back at work on Thursday, told The Times he felt it was only when the company Ardent had 8220;turned the corner8221; that he could ask for marriage.

8220;Basically there was no point in starting Ardent and starting married life at the same time,8221; he said. 8220;That would have been silly. Apart from anything else we weren8217;t ready then.8221; Edward and Rhys-Jones have had a relationship for five years and the announcement of their engagement, while unpredicted, was hardly sudden. Edward, who is head of production for Ardent, said: 8220;We are about to enter the busiest year of our existence,8221; he said. He added that after becoming engaged, reporters could no longer continually askhim about marriage plans, but speculated that another favourite question would inevitably follow. 8220;I dread to think what it is going to be,8221; he joked.