An Australian model, Sophie Jean Taylor, 24, has become a celebrity overnight after she was photographed in Verbier, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, having lunch with Prince William, 34, the second in the line to the throne of England.
Prince William was on a ski trip in Verbier, Switzerland when he was spotted having lunch with Sophie Taylor at a local restaurant. The Aussie model was photographed giggling and laughing while drinking beer, wine, and Jägerbombs at a popular restaurant in Verbier, with Williams and a group of friends.
Taylor also reportedly spent the evening partying with Prince William and his friends at the Farinet nightclub where Taylor works.
According to the Daily Mail , William and his friends met Sophie and another young female friend, Rosie Peate, while partying at the exclusive Farinet nightclub and invited them to join them for lunch at La Vache, an upscale mountainside restaurant in the ski resort town of Verbier.
[INFO]Did Prince William Flirt With Australian Model Sophie Taylor on Ski Trip in Switzerland? https://t.co/aArtJK0c5m pic.twitter.com/255j107ThM
— MailRPW (@MailRPW) March 14, 2017
Taylor currently has a winter season job at the exclusive Farinet nightclub in Verbier. She grew up in Terrigal in New South Wales where she attended Terrigal High School, according to the Herald Sun .
She worked as a model for Chadwick, a modeling agency in Australia. The modeling agency confirmed they “dropped” her in 2016.
“She was (represented) by us from 2012-15, before moving overseas to London,” Joseph Tenni, a former agent at Chadwick’s, said, according to the Australian News.com .
“I remember her being super professional and polite.”
Mum of model Sophie Taylor who partied with Prince William said she is ‘girl of integrity’ https://t.co/DTsvMpaRof | @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/EhBh1RXKDP
— Victoria Craw (@victoria_craw) March 14, 2017
Her modeling career has taken her to various parts of the world, including United States, Asia and Europe.
According to Glen Krohn, 43, a fashion photographer who worked with her on the island of Bali last year, Taylor volunteered for a series of topless shoots while visiting Bali. Krohn described her as a “straight talking Aussie girl,” who showed no inhibition about showing off her body.
“Sophie is very confident about her body and has no inhibitions at all about posing topless,” Krohn said, according to the Daily Mail .
“She was great to photograph and a real fun person to be around. I’m sure Prince William enjoyed her company. She is a great girl.”
“Sophie is a great girl, a real down to earth straight talking girl from Oz,” Glen continued.
“She would be very comfortable in the company of the royals even though I don’t think she had met any of them before.”
“Sophie would give as good as she gets and would be very confident in Prince William’s company.”
Prince William was pictured giving a high five to Austrlian model Sophie Taylor, 24, (pictured)… https://t.co/vJkq9mvoyn @DailyMailCeleb
— ludovic choupo (@ludovicchoupo) March 14, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: Prince William skips Commonwealth Day services and slopes off to chill with Aussie babe Sophie Taylor https://t.co/dRRgxaQa56 pic.twitter.com/js5tv1qd6w
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) March 14, 2017
Sophie’s mother confirmed media reports that the 24-year-old model had lunch with Prince William. But she insisted that her daughter was a “girl of integrity” who would never put the married William in an “awkward position.”
“She is such a girl on integrity,” Joni, a resident of Wamberal, an affluent coastal suburb of the Australian Central Coast, told The Daily Telegraph .
“There is no way she would put him [Prince William] in an awkward position. She would certainly never put anyone in that position.”
“Sophie said they met and had a few drinks, “she added.
“She said he was lovely and a down to earth person.”
She denied that her daughter was having a romantic relationship with Prince William. According to Joni, her daughter was in a happy relationship with a young man called Aaron Goodfellow. The two were together in Verbier when William met Sophie.
Aaron also reportedly met Prince William and described him as a “great guy” and “very down to earth.”
Joni said her daughter was shocked at the media attention the incident was attracting.
William was spotted having lunch with Sophie after he faced criticism for traveling to Switzerland to spend time partying with friends while other members of the royal family and the Queen were busy attending a service at Westminster Abby to mark Commonwealth Day.
He was also criticized for leaving his wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at home for a weekend to hang out with a blonde Aussie model in Switzerland.
However, William returned to the U.K. on Monday after a four-day getaway with friends, including Guy Pelly, Tom van Straubenzee, and James Meade.
[Featured Image by Daniel Leal-Olivas/AP Images]
