In the British royal family, a less popularly known member of the family is Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex whose full name is Edward Antony Richard Louis. He is unique in many ways: the prince doesn’t crave for public attention, he pursued a career path different from his brothers and in terms of marriage, he is the only one of his siblings who is still married to his first spouse. Find out more about Prince Charles’ brother, Prince Edward, in the paragraphs below.
Who is Prince Charles’ Brother, Prince Edward?
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex was born on the 10th of March 1964 in Buckingham Palace, London. He is the fourth child and third son of and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As at the time of his birth, Prince Edward was third in the line of succession to the British throne but now eleventh in the line of succession. He has as his elder siblings, , , and .
Just like his siblings and in line with the family tradition, a governess was appointed to see to Prince Edward’s education in Buckingham Palace. When he got older, the young prince was enrolled at Gibbs School in Kensington where she studied for sometime before moving over to Heatherdown School, close to Ascot in Berkshire. In no distant time and just as his father and siblings have all done, Prince Edward was enrolled at Gordonstoun School, in northern Scotland where he then finished off his secondary education. In his last year, the young prince was made the head boy of his class.
Following his graduation from secondary school, Edward Anthony spent a year abroad in New Zealand where he worked as a junior master and house tutor at the Wanganui Collegiate School, a state-integrated coeducational, day and boarding secondary school run by the Anglican church. On his return to Britain, he enrolled at Jesus College, Cambridge albeit amid controversies about his A-level results not meeting up to the minimum requirement for the school. However, in the year 1986, Prince Edward graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
In the same year he left the university, the Prince joined the Royal Marines, an arm of the British Royal Navy. However, unlike his brothers, Prince Edward didn’t complete his training course in the Navy before opting out. When he left, he chose to pursue a career in the entertainment industry instead, in particular, theatre and television. He also went ahead to set up his own entertainment company but at the moment, he devotes more time in service of the British throne.
What Do We Know About Him? Other Facts About The Earl of Wessex
Earlier, we mentioned that a controversy arose when Prince Edward enrolled at Jesus College, Cambridge. This was so because, in his A-level exams, the prince had a C-grade and two D-grades which were far below the straights A’s that is the standard for entrance into the college. Be that as it may, in 1986 he graduated with a second class lower honors in history from the college.
While working in the entertainment industry, Prince Edward worked on musicals like Tim Rice, Cricket, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Starlight Express. His television production was The Grand Knockout Tournament which was however heavily criticized by the media and thus discontinued.
Prince Edward also did set up a TV production company which he named Ardent Productions. The TV company made documentaries and dramas most of which were well received in the USA, unlike the harsh criticisms they faced in Britain.
- His Wife and their Children
Prince Edward is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones with whom he has two children. The couple met sometime in 1994, got engaged on January 6, 1999, before getting married on June 19, 1999. Their wedding held at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in a low-key event.
They gave birth to their first child, (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor) on November 8, 2003, while the second – James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor – was born on December 17, 2007. Unlike his siblings, Prince Edward has remained married to his first and only wife ever since they got married.
- Why is Prince Edward not Referred to as a Duke?
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is a simple and unique man different from his brothers in many ways. Unlike Prince Charles (Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay and Prince of Wales) and Prince Andrew (Duke of York), he actually didn’t want to be referred to as Duke. Thus, on the day of his wedding, Prince Edward, who would have become Duke of Cambridge asked his mother, to be titled Earl of Wessex which was granted.
His wife therefore instead of being referred to as duchess is referred to as Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Their kids, on the other hand, are respectively Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor) and James, Viscount Severn (James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor).
- How Much is Prince Edward Worth and What is the Source of His Income?
Recently, Prince Edward devotes all his time in service of the British throne. He receives his income from the queen’s Crown Estate. Add this to what he probably made while working in the entertainment industry, Prince Edward reportedly has a net worth of about $45 million which is over £37 million.
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
