Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie had a conventional royal wedding ceremony in 1999, however the early days of their romance had been decidedly much less formal.

Queen Elizabeth II‘s youngest son first met Sophie in 1987 when she was working as a press officer at Capital Radio. On the time, Edward was courting Sophie’s buddy, however when the duo reconnected in 1993, they had been each single.

After courting for six years, Edward popped the query in December 1998 whereas the pair had been on trip within the Bahamas. Once they publicly introduced their engagement the next month, Sophie had a easy rationalization for why the 2 hit it off. “I feel we share plenty of pursuits, we chortle so much and we now have a terrific friendship,” she defined in an interview.

The College of Cambridge graduate and the previous publicist tied the knot in June 1999 at St George’s Chapel. Three years later, Sophie ceased working in public relations and have become a full-time working royal.

Preserve scrolling for a glance again at Edward and Sophie’s full relationship timeline.