Sophie faces storm of criticism

The Countess of Wessex was secretly taped

Countess Sophie is back in Britain, as the row over her alleged indiscreet comments about the Royal Family rumbles on.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived at Heathrow airport from Bahrain amid continuing controversy over her dual role as a Royal and a PR executive.

If a sheikh came to me with a glass of champagne, I would make my excuses and leave

Stephen Byers

A cabinet minister suggested on Wednesday that the Countess of Wessex was ill-advised in making her reported comments to a "bogus sheikh" who posed as a prospective PR client.

Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers praised the Royal Family for promoting British trade but told BBC 1's Question Time that "the public and the private" should not be confused.

The couple arrived back from their trip on Wednesday night.

However the backlash from her alleged insults about the Royal Family and senior politicians has shown no signs of abating since their publication at the weekend.

This is despite Buckingham Palace taking issue with reports of her comments made in the secretly taped conversation.

'Important lesson'

The controversy began when a newspaper reporter impersonated a sheikh wishing to do business with the countess's PR firm.

Mr Byers was asked what he would do if, like the countess, he was approached by a sheikh bearing a glass of champagne.

He said the Royal Family had a "very important role to play in promoting British trade" but warned: "What we cannot do is to allow people to confuse the public with the private.

"That is the important lesson for politicians and for the Royal Family as well."

Pressed as to whether he thought the countess and her husband, Prince Edward, had confused the two in their minds, he replied: "I am making a general point and people will draw their own conclusions from this.

"Both for politicians and for members of the royal family it is important to make the distinction between public and private.

"So if a sheikh came to me with a glass of champagne, I would make my excuses and leave."