Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Britain's Countess of Wessex has likened the Queen to a "stick of rock".
The Countess, who turns 50 in January, has revealed her admiration for her mother-in-law, the Queen, who she's come to see as an inspiration.
She reflected: "The Queen would never let anybody down, and that means that you feel the same way. Because there's that part of her which I'm sure is like the proverbial stick of rock ... the word 'service' just runs through her."
The Countess, who married Prince Edward in 1999, revealed she's particularly impressed by the can-do attitude of the Queen, who she says works tirelessly despite being 88 years old.
She told Harper's Bazaar UK: "It doesn't matter how tired you are - carry on.
"In the early days, I used to rush around as quickly as I could, but when you observe the Queen, she does things in such a measured way, and I hope I've learnt to try not to bounce into the room, but do things in a slightly more elegant way.
"The art of talking meaningfully is one that has to be learnt.
"It's hard to make people feel that the conversation you've had with them was worthwhile, but the Queen is very good at that - she makes everybody feel very special."
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