It’s 6pm on a rainy and windy Wednesday and a very animated Duke of Edinburgh (no, not that one!) is chatting about everything from schoolchildren’s exam results to the plight of refugees.
Sitting on a rickety chair in the kitchen of a youth center and drinking water from a pink plastic children’s cup, Prince Edward reveals that he and his wife, Sophie, recently visited several organizations that support families who have come to the Kingdom United, admitting that they were “kind of surprised.” see us there’.
It makes clear that the modern monarchy must embrace immigration and diversity issues in their complexity.
Our country, he says, has long been shaped by the communities that have chosen to make it their home.
“It’s always intrigued me that when you scratch the surface of any British thing, you find that there’s usually a lot more to them than, you know, ‘Made in Britain’,” he says. “So our role – being part of the monarchy – in trying to bring people together is as important as ever, if not more so today.”
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh hug after their speech during the Community Sports and Recreation Awards on International Women’s Day at Headingley Stadium on March 8, 2024.
Steady Eddie – a nickname given to the Duke of Kent, but equally appropriate for the late Queen’s youngest son – has spent most of his royal career working quietly, carrying out hundreds of engagements each year that barely make the front pages.
He adds: “I think we’re all wondering how we can reach those communities that maybe don’t always think that this, the monarchy, is something for them.” It’s a rather unexpected statement from the most cautious of royals, and one that perhaps hints at his private passions.
Steady Eddie – a nickname given to the Duke of Kent, but equally appropriate for the late Queen’s youngest son – has spent most of his royal career working quietly, carrying out hundreds of engagements each year that barely make the front pages.
But this weekend marks a historic moment for the discreet duke, who celebrates his 60th birthday tomorrow.
Yesterday, during a visit to Headingley Stadium in Leeds, Edward, who like many Windsor men is not always one to show his feelings, seemed visibly moved as Sophie paid tribute to her “dear” husband.
The couple, who will celebrate their 25th anniversary in June, embraced each other warmly after the Duchess of Edinburgh’s moving speech, in which she praised the Duke as “the best of fathers, the most loving husband and still… my best.” friend”.
Edward, who was created Duke of Edinburgh by the King last year, was then presented with a cake in the shape of a “royal tennis court” and featuring images of him and his wife, whom he met through sport.
In fact, when we sit down for an exclusive interview at the Salmon Youth Center in Bermondsey (it’s the patron of Youth London), there’s one topic the prince gets sweetly nervous about: his wife.
‘Well, you need a really good support network in this and family is incredibly important. “I am very, very lucky that Sophie is a brilliant, very brilliant person in her own right,” he tells me, smiling from ear to ear. It is worth noting that he is the only one of the late queen’s children who was never divorced.
It’s fair to say Edward isn’t the most instantly recognizable royal, but his vital work for the family business is becoming more valuable than ever.
The Duke of Edinburgh looked happy as he carried his gigantic 60th birthday cake.
The couple were in Leeds, West Yorkshire, today for a public engagement ahead of the royal’s historic birthday on Sunday.
The bitter departures of her brother, Prince Andrew, along with Harry and his wife Meghan – not to mention Her Majesty’s recent cancer diagnosis – mean that royal responsibilities will increasingly fall on the shoulders of the “younger” members of the family, including those of Eduardo and Sofía.
But in no way does he seem to find this role a burden. On the visit to the youth centre, the Duke gets stuck playing table tennis with the teenagers, joining them in a mix-up studio and discussing the benefits of the trampoline (his children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, had one in the garden). ) “He is incredibly supportive of the work we do, he is generous with his time and makes things happen,” says Pauline Daniyan, CEO of London Youth.
It’s a reminder that Edward is now almost an empty nester, with Louise, 20, studying English literature at St Andrews and James, 16, taking his GCSEs this summer.
The idea that children benefit both from what they do inside and outside the classroom is why he is so passionate about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which is awarded in 130 countries around the world, with him at the helm.
He says parents may not be willing to accept that formal exams are not everything, saying: ‘Grades will get you an interview. But they won’t get you the job… They’re the other strings to your bow.’
Some might wonder why anyone should listen to a prince, whose life has been cushioned by the luxury of permanent employment at the Firm. But Howard Williamson, professor of European Youth Policy at the University of South Wales and trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, thinks he knows what he is talking about.
He says: ‘I’m not easily impressed, but I’ve worked with him for years and I can say he’s a fundamentally decent person. He is passionate and knowledgeable about his work with young people.’
It’s a sentiment I hear again and again as I join the prince on a day of engagements, starting at King’s Hospital in south London, where the Duke of Edinburgh’s program runs a volunteer programme.
Edward’s manners are excellent, a former royal vassal tells me: “He was always the late queen’s most polite son, and that has never changed.”
Up close, he is the spitting image of Prince Philip, wearing the same cuffed trousers, but with his mother’s elegant features. But he has his own way of speaking, almost theatrical. ‘Excellent! Fantastic!’ he gets excited after every conversation. However, he remains unceremonious, rolling up his sleeves, donning a plastic pinny and wheeling a food cart around the rooms.
Although the prince drives during our day together, he is one of the few royals who usually travels on foot (and even by subway) to work. A friend who has been on holiday with the Edinburghs tells me that the couple happily go to the local co-op for supplies.
Edward’s favorite pastime is walking alone in the countryside with his beloved spaniel, Mole. But he is also, I’m told, a “demon” griller, and can often be found outside in the dark at parties, using a headlamp and creating “truly amazing” culinary delights, a talent passed down from his late father.
I mention to another friend that the Duke has lost a noticeable amount of weight and wonder if he has adopted a new exercise regime as he approaches 60.
—I hate to bore you, but he is extraordinarily disciplined. He doesn’t eat or drink much and he certainly doesn’t smoke. He’s just not a pudding man,’ they say.
When we meet, I ask Edward about the health of his brother the King. He smiles wanly, understandably excited given how stark the news is. ‘We were all hugely grateful for everyone’s extraordinary support. I know that all this has touched you very much. It’s okay, we keep our fingers crossed that everything goes very well,’ he says.
Edward may not live life to the limit (aside from flipping burgers by torchlight), but after recent events, the Steady Eddie Mk2 could be just what the Royal Family and his brother desperately need.