It has been more than three decades since Prince Edward dramatically left the Royal Navy training program.
In 1987, it was hoped that the Queen’s youngest son could be something of a royal advertisement for our armed forces.
When it became known that Edward’s father, Prince Philip, was Captain General of the Marine Corps, the embarrassment intensified.
Edward’s reputation was not helped one bit by his next move later that year.
The Duke of Edinburgh meets young people at a youth center in south-east London
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, wears the Order of the Thistle for the first time at the dedication of a Royal Fleet auxiliary ship, RFA Stirling Castle, Leith.
Prince Edward and Sophie hug after her emotional speech praising him on his 60th birthday when she said: “I’m so proud of the man he is.” He is the best father, the most loving husband and remains my best friend.
Trying to embark on a theater career, the Prince created the disastrous television special that became known as ‘It’s a Royal Knockout’, which featured members of the Royal Family in silly games directed by Stuart Hall.
Remembered even now as a national humiliation, the episode remains a sore point for Edward. The following years, including a stint with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s group Really Useful, brought him little solace and when he formed his own company Ardent, he was accused of producing only royal-related films.
Yet what a change we see today!
According to a recent YouGov poll, Edward, now a key figure in the Monarchy, has seen the biggest rise in popularity over time of any member of the Royal Family.
The Prince has just been appointed Colonel of the Scots Guards, succeeding the 88-year-old Duke of Kent, an honor conferred on him by his older brother, the King.
It is one of several.
Last year, on Edward’s 59th birthday, Charles created him Duke of Edinburgh, a title his father had held. This year Edward was awarded the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest royal honour.
It is quite a fitting reward not only for simple hard work, but also for total decency.
Edward, who just celebrated his 60th birthday, has rarely enjoyed much positive media attention.
When he married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, he was accused of making money from television coverage of the wedding.
Two years later, when Prince William started at the University of St Andrews, Edwards’ television company, Ardent, filmed the student Prince, while other outlets agreed to back off.
Being a very private person, Edward felt humiliated by the criticism he received. His calm exterior masks a less confident individual than he would like to portray.
Marriage and fatherhood have matured him (he attributes much of this to his wife Sophie), but he still lacks the spontaneous warmth that his older brother, the King, so successfully displays in public.
He certainly may seem quite thoughtless, as do his brothers, but that’s not entirely his fault.
The royal descendants of their generation were raised to have everything done to them, from the complicated to the mundane.
It’s no surprise that Edward likes order and expects things to be done correctly.
It is said that sometimes the whole business of being a member of royalty is very limiting for him, but he has learned to live with it, without worrying that everything is done for him.
He can be arrogant at times, but he is never overtly condescending to people.
He is kind and has a self-deprecating sense of humor. He writes his own speeches and delivers them with humor.
If his words seem to fall flat, simply move on, protected by the mantle of royalty and assured that sooner or later he will surely elicit a laugh.
Within the immediate family, he is closest to his sister, the Princess Royal.
They have certain similarities: the more they feel appreciated, the more receptive they are.
Major General Sir Michael Hobbs, former director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, once summed up Edward perfectly.
‘He is everything he doesn’t seem to be in his public image. He is not a prude and he is not at all pompous.
Prince Edward was accused of making money from television coverage of his wedding to Sophie.
Prince Edward was angered when television company Ardent filmed student Prince William, his nephew, while other media outlets agreed to back down.
Prince Edward is closest to his older sister Princess Anne, says Ingrid Seward
‘He shows strong traits of his late father, but is a product of his own generation. There’s a degree of sweetness to it that makes him a perfectly decent guy.
It has been a very, very long wait, but it seems that the public is beginning to agree.
- Ingrid Seward is the author of My Mother & I – the relationship between the late queen and King Charles and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine
‘He is everything he doesn’t seem to be in his public image. He is not a prude and he is not at all pompous.