Individuals all over the world are in sadness following the death of Her Majesty the Queen of England. Her family, obviously, is the most distraught.
The Queen is survived by 4 kids. And, while mothers are supposed to have no favorites, the Queen always seemed to have a special place for one of her children.
The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, have 4 kids. Charles, her firstborn and now King, was followed by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and lastly Prince Edward.
At 8:20 p.m., the Queen’s final child, Edward, was born on the 10th of March, 1964. In terms of weight, he was the Queen’s lightest baby, at 5lbs 7oz. This was the first birth of his own child that Prince Philip attended himself, which added to the historical significance of the occasion.
At the time of Prince Edward’s birth, Queen Elizabeth was 37 years old, and she had asked Prince Philip to be present. The Duke of Edinburgh had agreed with his wife’s wish and had even held her hand when she was giving birth in the delivery room.
The Queen had read periodicals about the significance of a father’s engagement in his children’s life and delivery during her fourth pregnancy. She was fascinated by the concept and chose to put it into action with the birth of her second and final kid. This created history as well, since fathers were not traditionally present at royal births.
With the birth of her first 3 kids, the queen struggled to balance work and motherhood. And, as much as she wished to be available for her kids, she was frequently forced to leave them in the hands of nannies while attending to her royal duties.
Things changed, however, with the birth of Edward, Earl of Wessex, when she was well over a decade into her reign. She was more adept at juggling her duties as Queen with her role as a mother, and so had more time to be the latter.
As a result, Edward had a far stronger relationship with his parents than his older siblings. According to reports, the Duke of Edinburgh was especially fond of his youngest child because he entrusted him with the burden of carrying on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award system.
Prince Edward’s childhood was likewise far more fascinating than that of his elder brothers and sisters. The little prince even got the opportunity to meet Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, after which he was impressed and declared his desire to pursue a job as an astronaut as well!
After graduating from Gordonstoun School, the young prince took a gap year. He started working as a junior master and tutor at Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand during his gap year. Thereafter, he attended Jesus College, where he graduated in 1986 with a second lower class.
For a time, Edward considered joining the Royal Marines, but he dropped out midway through the year-long introductory training. He despised the strenuous physical training required.
Rather, the young prince sought a profession in theatre, which took him in a very opposite route. As a result, he became the first member of the royal family to pursue a profession in entertainment. In 1993, he launched Ardent Productions, however the firm failed, and the prince returned to his royal duties full-time.
In 1987, Prince Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones at Capital Radio. The prince was seeing her buddy at the time, so the two had never considered dating one other.
They reconnected in 1993 at a charity event, and flames soared. The couple started dating, and the prince made it public by inviting Sophie to significant official functions as his plus-one.
After seeing his older siblings’ failed marriages: Charles to Princess Diana, Andrew to Sarah Ferguson, and Anne to Mark Phillips. Prince Edward was more conscious of his marriage choice. He hesitated for some time before making his decision in 1999.
In January 1999, the prince declared his engagement to Sophie. He proposed to her with an Asprey & Garrard white gold ring set with a two-carat oval diamond and two heart-shaped diamonds on either side.
They married the next summer in a simple ceremony with no military participation. On the celebration of their wedding, the Queen gave Sophie a tiara created from pieces from her jewel collection.
Following his marriage, the prince qualified for the title of Duke, which is the highest position in the British peerage system. But, he declined the title and chose to be an earl rather.
The pair has had 2 kids over their almost two-decade marriage. Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor and James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor were both born in Surrey’s Frimley Park Hospital.
Lady Louise was said to be the Queen’s favorite granddaughter. Sophie, the Queen’s favorite daughter-in-law, is also her mom.
Who Is the Queen's Youngest Son, Prince Edward?How much do you know about Queen Elizabeth's youngest son, Prince Edward? 🤔 He's verrrrrry low-key. 👑 (via Town & Country)
Posted by Cosmopolitan on Monday, March 25, 2019
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, was the Queen’s closest confidante. She made it a point to check in on her mother-in-law every other day after the Duke of Edinburgh died to ensure she was doing well.
Sophie Wessex has appeared as the Queen’s unusual ‘rock’ as the queen adjusts to life without Prince Philip, royal expert Duncan Larcombe remarked. According to insiders, Prince Edward’s wife has made it her particular goal to assure Her Majesty is completely supported by the family.
Edward and Sophie also lived near Buckingham Palace and frequently visited the Queen.
Sophie and Edward had arrived at Balmoral Castle earlier on the day of her death, worried about the Queen’s health. As Charles ascends to the throne, Edward is expected to assist with royal tasks.
The Royal Family must be going through a difficult time with the death of the Queen. Our sympathies go out for all those who are mourning the monarch’s demise.
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