Sophie Wessex, first royal to sit for sculptor Frances Segelman in debut virtual event

Sophie Wessex, the youngest daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, is going to follow in the monarch's footsteps by having her sculpture made by renowned British sculptor Frances Segelman. In addition, the British royal will also be the first royal ever to sit for Segelman during a groundbreaking virtual event.

Sophie Wessex, who is married to Prince Edward, will sit for Frances Segelman as a part of a live virtual event, which will be the latest in a series of virtual engagements carried out by the British royal family since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

The sculpture of the Countess of Wessex is reportedly set to be unveiled in 2021 to mark the centenary of sight loss charity Vision Foundation, of which the mother-of-two has been a patron since 2003, after taking over the role from the Queen Mother. To honour the cause, the sculpture will be created as a tactile piece of art for blind and partially sighted people, which will mark another first for the royals as well as Segelman.

In an interview with Daily Mail's Richard Eden, the Leeds-born sculptor noted that it will be a "privilege" to create the art piece on the 55-year-old royal during a live event, reports Hello.

"It is a privilege. It will be the first time a member of the royal family has sat for me as part of a live virtual event, and the first royal sculpture I have created as a tactile piece of art for blind and partially sighted people," she said.

Segelman has previously worked with a number of British royals as well as several A-list celebrities for her art pieces. Apart from a bronze bust of the queen in 2008, the sculptor has also created works of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

In an earlier interview with Hello in 2017, Segelman had opened up about her experience of creating the bronze sculptor of the queen. The 71-year-old had said: "She's just an amazing lady. I literally almost cried when I was leaving because I felt that I'd learned so much just being in her presence. She's a very special person."