Meghan Markle And Prince Harry May Have An Unexpected Ally In The Royal Family

The heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II has thrust royal defectors Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back into the warm(?) embrace of his family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the UK when Her Majesty was placed under medical supervision, and, following her passing, they've opted to stay put and honor her memory (via E! News). 

The Sussexes still have a difficult relationship with their former home, but the British public reacted positively to Harry and Meghan greeting the crowds at Windsor Castle, alongside Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

According to The Times, the celebrity couple may have an unlikely ally in their corner — in the form of Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex. Sophie is close with plenty of royals and could prove to be an important support system for Meghan and Harry in the coming months as they mourn the queen while simultaneously trying to mend fences. 

An insider confirmed that she was the first person to visit the Sussexes after Archie was born in 2019 because "she has got the empathy and warmth that maybe people who grew up in that family don't naturally have."

Moreover, the countess is close with Catherine, so she could play peacemaker there, too. Sophie also had a very special relationship with the queen, which could be equally important since Kinsey Schofield warned TMZ that, without Her Majesty's calming influence, Meghan and Harry could find themselves even more estranged from the rest of the royal family.