The mid-market MAIL ON SUNDAY, meanwhile, splashes on its front page with what it believes to be Sophie's original comments to an undercover News of the World reporter. Headlined 'Queen's outrage at Sophie insults', the story claims that the Queen has been deeply upset by 'a series of outrageous remarks' the Countess is said to have made about politicians and members of the Royal Family to a journalist posing as a potential client for her PR business. The meeting took place at the Dorchester Hotel in London, the paper says, and involved a man posing as an Arab sheikh who sought PR advice. The paper claims that in conversation, Sophie called the Queen 'an old dear', and that she said Charles and Camilla would not marry until 'the old lady dies' (apparently referring to the Queen Mother). The paper also claims that she made unflattering references to Diana, Princess of Wales. The MAIL ON SUNDAY quotes an unnamed 'senior courtier' as saying that the alleged remarks went 'way beyond a gaffe', and suggests that they may even imperil her position within the Royal Family.

SKY NEWS today reports that Buckingham Palace has launched what it calls a 'scathing attack' on the MAIL ON SUNDAY's story. Its website reports a Buckingham Palace statement that the story is 'riddled with inaccuracies and fictions'. In an unusual step, the Palace issued the statement singling out the newspaper, stating that 'not one of the quotes cited by the Mail on Sunday is accurate'. It adds that remarks about Tony Blair, William Hague and Cherie Blair were 'selective, distorted and on several occasions flatly untrue'. The statement continues: 'All members of the Royal Family risk tittle-tattle, misinformation and - from time to time - wholesale inaccuracy.' Later editions of the broadsheet SUNDAY TIMES also report today that the Countess's remarks have put the Palace on the defensive. It claims the Palace 'reacted with incredulity' to the tabloid's story, and quotes a Palace spokesman as saying: 'It is not a story we believe any reader or reporter ought to take seriously. The claim that the countess has 'deeply upset the Queen' is untrue and to run a speculative story under this headline is particularly offensive.' Furthermore, 'suggestions that her marriage is imperilled, or that Prince Edward is 'furious with her' are also untrue', according to the spokesman.