Queen Elizabeth is having daughter-in-law problems again after a British tabloid published transcripts of Sophie Rhys-Jones badmouthing the Royal family.
Comments made by Rhys-Jones, wife of Prince Edward, during an encounter with an undercover reporter caused a major stir for what many consider a breach of royal protocol.
The News of the World tabloid – which sent the reporter disguised as a wealthy sheik to discuss a fictional business deal with her – published the transcript of their meeting in today’s editions.
In the transcript, Rhys-Jones says that Queen Elizabeth stands in the way of Prince Charles marrying his longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles. She said as long as the 100-year-old royal matriarch lives, “It’s very hard for anybody to publicly recognize Camilla.”
The revelations have left the royal family looking more vulnerable than at any time since the death of Princess Diana, who had been a major headache for the royal family during the very public collapse of her marriage to Prince Charles.
The News of the World said it sent the reporter to the public-relations firm where the countess works to discuss publicity for a fictional resort in Dubai. It said it published the transcript in order to correct versions of the interview that had been printed in other newspapers.
The Mail on Sunday – the News of the World’s major rival – got hold of at least part of the tapes’ contents and published them last week. The Mail on Sunday won’t say how it did so, but cited “accounts” of the tapes, suggesting they were leaked.