The Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Manchester today following the Queen’s death last week, telling the crowds: “We’ve all lost someone.” Here’s what you need to know about the prince.
Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, is the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II’s four children.
He was born in 1964, and the Queen’s biographer Matthew Dennison has said Edward was her favourite child, despite a long-standing public perception that Prince Andrew was the favoured son.
He attended Cambridge University, after some controversy surrounding his admission with poor A-Level results, and discovered a love for amateur dramatics – but he had an obligation to serve in the Royal Marines, which sponsored him through university.
Edward left the Marines in 1987, having served less than four months.
Following this, Edward worked in theatre and founded a production company.
The Earl became a full-time working Royal in 2002, taking on many of his father’s duties as Prince Philip’s health declined, including the presidency of the Commonwealth Games Federation. He has appeared at Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award ceremonies across the world.
Recent visits to Greater Manchester include a trip in 2015 to unveil a plaque commemorating the centenary of Bolton School, and he attended the award ceremony for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting at the Royal Exchange Theatre.
He also visited in 2016 to tour the UKFast Campus in Hulme, and again in 2016 for the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. While he was here, he visited East Manchester high school and the training academy of Manchester City, the first football club in the country to offer young people the award.
It’s commonly thought that Philip wanted Edward to take the title of the Duke of Edinburgh, and now that Charles is King the decision is his – whether to retain the title himself or pass it to his youngest brother.
If Prince Edward does become the new Duke of Edinburgh, his wife Sophie will become the Duchess of Edinburgh, a title previously held by the Queen.
