Wiser than Princes Charles and Andrew, who lie behind Princess Anne, Prince Edward is one of the most mysterious Windsors. Elizabeth II’s last child, what is his relationship with the queen?
Sad news. This Thursday, September 8, Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle surrounded by her children, where links are not always the easiest. Although she is often described as cold and withdrawn with Prince Charles and Princess Anne, she is said to be softer with Andrew and her new baby Edward, who is described as her favourite. Born on March 10, 1964, the birth of the Earl of Wessex was the only duke of edinburgh help Becoming queen at a very young age after the sudden death of George VI, Elizabeth had no time to make motherhood her priority in the early years of Prince Charles and Princess Anne’s life.
“Queen Elizabeth adored her eldest children, but in the early years of her reign, he was forced to focus on his role as monarch”, noted biographer, Catherine Meyers in her book Charles: The Heart of a King. Stop ignoring others. So with great extravagance adorned with a hint of guilt Queen Elizabeth II approached the arrival of her two sons, Andrew and Edward. Beloved by his parents, the second had a relatively happy childhood. According to the palace nannies, while the queen attends to state affairs, the little prince is even allowed to play quietly at the foot of her table … A first for the Mountbatten-Windsors!
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Prince Charles and Edward, rivals?
Like his brothers and father, Edward was educated at the independent Gordonstoun School, located in Scotland. the young man then continued his studies at the prestigious University of Cambridge then joined the Royal Navy, before leaving the road. To everyone’s surprise, the prince philip will support his son’s decision to abandon a military career. Edward then launched, with enthusiasm, but without much success, into making theater and then television.
often the Earl of Wessex cultivated great discretion, especially vis-à-vis the British press. One more time point in common with his mother, to whom he was very close, to the point that gave rise to rumors of favoritism within the royal family… Over the years, the suspicion of a terrible rivalry deepened the relationship between of prince Charles and his younger brother, Edward.
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Edward, the darling of the family
side of the heart, the young man will also receive preferential treatment from his parents. While the latter have always strongly encouraged the marriage of their eldest children, Elizabeth and Philip are less pressured at this point with Prince Edward. A strategy that pays off because the prince is now only child of the queen did not resort to divorce after a 22-year relationship with Countess Sophie of Wessex.
Edward and Sophie met in 1993, when the Earl of Wessex hired Sophie Rhys-Jones as a press officer for one of his charities. The connection is immediate. After the official introduction, Sophie is the only young woman to get Elizabeth’s approval spend the night in the prince’s apartments before their marriage.
Prince Edward is close to Elizabeth II
On June 19, 1999, Edward and Sophie got married. In other words, six years after their first meeting. According to the British press, the divorce of Charles and Diana and then the death of the latter in a tragic car accident could postpone the announcement of their engagement several times. Parents of two children, Louise and James Mountbatten-Windsor, the count and countess have long despisedwithout distancing himself from the royal family.
Edward sees his mother often and has a very good relationship with her, as do his wife, Sophie and their children. Louise is pregnant, Countess Sophie suffered from placental abruption which almost cost him his life. The queen, though rarely emotional, rushes to her bed in an emergency. “Since then, The Queen took Sophie under her wing”according to biographer Ingrid Seward in her book Prince Felipe Reveals: A Man of His Century.
Over the years, the British monarchy was drowned in scandals repeat. Prince Andrew is now persona non grata at court, Harry and Meghan have officially left the royal family and Prince Charles is suspected of corruption. Facing these storms, the queen relies on the support of her youngest son, whom she pushes, little by little, to the front of the stage. “Edward becomes a low-key and effective figure who does not seek to take the limelight himself and does not make the headlines in the newspapers, trusted on condition of anonymity to a friend of the Wessex couple in the columns of The Express. He and Sophie are highly valued because they work hard and don’t complain.
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