Queen: Arbiter on impact of Sophie Wessex’s Fake Sheik ‘sting’

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The Queen issued an “unusual” statement in defence of her daughter-in-law Sophie Wessex after she was caught in a “naive” faux pas. Sophie was reported to have made some controversial remarks about the Royal Family while in talks for a job with a reporter pretending to be a sheikh in need of her PR services. But despite the uproar the story caused among the public, Her Majesty issued an unprecedented statement in which she sided with Sophie over the incident which happened in 2001. 

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Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter told Channel 5’s ‘Edward&Sophie: The Reluctant Royals?’: “The family was upset.

“They were upset for Sophie, that she’d actually being caught in this sting, not upset by what had been said because these were allegations.

“I’m not sure we ever heard a tape recording so they were allegations. They had not been proven.”

In a statement from Buckingham Palace, the Queen said: “The Queen deplores the entrapment, subterfuge, innuendo and untruth to which the Earl and Countess have been subjected to in recent days.”

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Narrator Glynis Barber noted Sophie had not been the first member of the Royal Family to be caught up in a similar scam.

Ms Barber said: “Though reported to be upset by the incident, the Queen gave her full support to the Wessexes.

“Other royals had been caught out by the fake sheikh, mainly the Duchess of York and Princess Michael of Kent.”

Despite the full backing of the Queen, Sophie still suffered “terrible consequences” for her indiscretion.

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Commentator Ayesha Hazarika said: “To have just dished the dirt on someone she didn’t really know, he was just a prospective client, was incredibly naive and it had terrible consequences.

“Because, of course, it was a huge story.”

Months after news of her meeting with the sheikh broke, both the Earl and Countess of Wessex announced they would take a step back from their private careers to help organise the celebrations marking the Queen’s golden jubilee in 2002.

Sophie and Edward have since completely given up their everyday jobs to fully focus on their royal careers.

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The Countess of Wessex has since emerged as one of the Queen’s most reliable allies within the Royal Family, often accompanying Her Majesty on official outings and acting as companion during Buckingham Palace receptions.

Sunday Times’ royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah said: “It was a painful lesson to her to learn but the fact she was able to be rehabilitated after that incident shows just how highly valued she was, and still is, in the Royal Family.”

And with the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earlier in the year, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex have both been suggested as potential successors to fill the vacancy the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have created.

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