Duchess Sophie’s forgotten-about ‘Chalet Girl’ era – and the ski-instructor she almost ‘settled down’ with

Like many young adults in their twenties, the Duchess of Edinburgh chose to follow a flock of freshly-graduated college students to the slopes after completing her studies at Kent College. 

Sophie, née Rhys-Jones, hit up the resorts of Crans-Montana, St Moritz and San Moritz for her ski season. She reportedly worked as a ski representative, a role in which she assisted guests with every aspect of their trip – from arrival and accommodation to ski lessons, lift passes, and equipment hire. 

A stepping-stone role for her future career in Public Relations, Sophie’s job was to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for visitors on the mountain, organising activities and serving as the primary point of contact for skiers and snowboarders.

A snowy love story

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The Duchess of Edinburgh’s flurry of fun on the slopes may have been short-lived, but the royal reportedly left Switzerland having fallen in love with a ski instructor. Years before she found love with Prince Edward, the Duchess was reportedly planning on settling down with the man in Australia, where she went following her ski season. 

The late royal writer Garth Gibbs revealed this in the 1999 documentary, Prince Edward & Sophie Rhys-Jones: The True Story, which premiered before the couple tied the knot that year. 

“I think she was hoping to get married and settle down in Aussie,” Garth explained. “When everything went slightly wrong, she started getting homesick.”

Sophie’s relationship with the ski instructor didn’t end in wedding bells, due to her desire to return back to the UK . 

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“And she did immediately,” Garth explained. “She went to work for Brian MacLaurin, where she really honed up on her skills.”

Her choice to leave Australia and get a job in PR later became the catalyst for her royal love story. She started working for PR company Maclaurin Communication and Media in 1993 – the same year of her meet-cute with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son.

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Duchess Sophie’s pre-royal life on the slopes

Hannah Hargrave, HELLO!’s Deputy US News Editor, worked in a chalet in Austria for six months when she was 21. 

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve had and while it was hard work, long hours and exhausting, it was well worth it.”

Offering a glimpse of what the Duchess of Edinburgh may have had to endure on the slopes, Hannah explained: “I had to cook breakfast and dinner (three courses in the evening) every day for 12 guests and bake a daily cake for them too. I worked with another chalet girl and we worked six days a week, had to clean the house and change the beds for the turnovers in addition to sorting all the meals and shopping lists.”

© Steve Back/Daily Mail/Shutterstock

Despite admitting it was incredibly hard work, Hannah explained that she had “several hours in the day for skiing or snowboarding,” and she cherished the time that was hers. 

“We lived in the same chalet as the guests but in our own room,” she continued. “The worst part was when we had some very demanding and rude guests who were not particularly friendly to us. Often guests would ask us to have a drink with them after dinner and get to know us, but not these ones. We were to be seen and not heard!

“There was a great party atmosphere in the town where all the ski season workers would get together after work to relax. I met some fantastic people, learned to snowboard and made memories for a lifetime.”