a) Accusations that her marriage to Edward is a 'sham':
She rejects reports that she and her husband are supposedly living apart all week:'We are probably apart maybe one, maybe two nights a week. Which is a lot less than an awful lot of other people,' she tells the paper. 'I really don¹t think I could be part of a marriage that was a complete sham. I¹m afraid people can read things in my face. I¹m too honest.'

b) Rumours about her husband's sexuality:
The Countess speaks bluntly: 'I can tell you he¹s not gay. I had heard something before we met, but I put it down to the fact that he was working in theatre and people had presumed he was gay. How I¹d love to be able to go out and sing from the rooftops: IT IS NOT TRUE.'

c) How 'normal' her life is:
The Countess says that people would be surprised at the normality of her life: even though she and Edward attend events and official functions, they spend much of their time simply going to dinner at friends' houses. 'My perfect evening would probably be taking the dogs, Otter and Piper, for a walk as the sun¹s going down,' she says. 'Being able to sit outside or in the conservatory with a drink - anything from water to gin and tonic.' Her favourite TV viewing is the drama Peak Practice and nature documentaries.

d) Her need to exercise:
Sophie has followed other public figures in taking up pilates, an exercise programme she began a year ago. She tells the paper: 'I don¹t diet as such because I¹m useless at sticking to them. But I sometimes do a little bit of food combining and try not to eat too much bread, potato or starch. I¹m also useless at going to the gym and doing things on my own.'

e) Comparisons between her and Princess Diana:
She states that she has been compared with Diana since she was 15. 'I don¹t deny that we do look alike and it¹s a huge compliment for me when people say that. But I couldn¹t ever compete with Diana¹s public image. I¹m not Diana.' The Countess continues that Diana could make clothes look 'amazing', but that she finds it difficult to be a fashion icon because 'I don¹t necessarily think I have a certain style'.

f) On her desire to have children:
The Countess talks of the pressure to have children before it is too late, especially from her family. If she does not conceive naturally, she says, 'I would explore all avenues and I certainly would not rule out IVF [artificially aided conception]. It's quite important for me to have children.'