The BBC presenter who almost stopped Sophie and Prince Edward meeting

Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward began dating in 1993 after a turn in events caused by a BBC presenter meant that the pair were teamed up for a sporty event.

• The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been married since 1999 but met nearly a decade before they tied the knot. 
• The story behind the couple getting together is rather sweet and all boils down to one BBC presenter who changed plans at the last minute.
• In other royal news, King Charles’ dancing in special video wins fans’ hearts and they’re all saying the same thing.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh who was known at the time by her maiden name Sophie Rhys-Jones, met Prince Edward decades ago in the late 1980s when they ran in similar circles and he dated one of her friends. However, it wasn't until 1993 when fate stepped in that the couple really got to know each other during a promotional shoot for a charitable engagement.

In 1993, Sophie and Edward both took part in a photoshoot for Prince Edward's Summer Challenge - which was linked to the Duke of Edinburgh award. The Prince was supposed to play tennis against Sue Barker for the shoot, but on the day there was a change of plans. Just an hour before she was supposed to arrive, Sue said she was unable to make it to the event, so fate stepped in - and so did Sophie!

Sophie was working in PR at the time when her boss Brian MacLaurin asked her to step in and play tennis against the Prince. According to The Times, Brian was later quoted saying that the Prince and Sophie had immediate chemistry during the match. "There was no mistaking the chemistry that was between them right from the word go," said Brian.

Just a few weeks after the match the Prince asked Sophie out officially for a date that was themed around the previous charitable event - a game of tennis followed by dinner at Buckingham Palace. Quite a fancy first date! Reportedly Sophie immediately became close with Her Majesty the late Queen and was often welcome at the palace apartments - long before she and Edward were engaged.

When it came to their compatibility, friends of the couple said that Sophie brought out Edward's fun side. "Sophie is good fun, a laugh, attractive," a friend told royal biographers Garth Gibbs and Sean Smith. "Edward is serious, quiet, and as is probably the case with most royals, somewhat arrogant and overbearing. You wouldn’t have thought they were at all suited. But when Edward’s with Sophie, he becomes good fun, too."

The pair married six years after the tennis match in 1999 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and have been together ever since.