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Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex HeirApparent Spouse Issue Lady Louise Windsor James, Viscount Severn Full name Edward Antony Richard Louis[1]
Detail
James, Viscount Severn
Sophie, Countess of Wessex
HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh • HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall • HRH Prince William of Wales • HRH Prince Henry of Wales • HRH The Duke of York • HRH Princess Beatrice of York • HRH Princess Eugenie of York • HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex • Viscount Severn • Lady Louise Windsor • HRH The Princess Royal • HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester • HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent • HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent • HRH Princess Alexandra
Titles and styles HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Prince Edward House Father Mother Born Baptised House of Windsor Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Elizabeth II 10 March 1964 (1964-03-10) Buckingham Palace, London 2 May 1964 St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964[2]) is the third son and fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession to the thrones of ten independent states; however, after additions to the Royal Family, and an evolution of the Commonwealth, Edward is currently seventh in line to the thrones of 16 countries. He is resident in and most directly involved with the United Kingdom, the oldest realm, while also carrying out duties in and on behalf of the other states of which his mother is sovereign.
Early life and education
Edward was born at Buckingham Palace on 10 March 1964, the fourth child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and fifth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Baptised on 2 May 1964 in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle[3] by then Dean of Windsor,
British Royal Family
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Robert Woods, the Prince’s godparents were Prince Richard; Prince Louis of Hesse and by Rhine; Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon; Katharine, Duchess of Kent, for whom Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, stood proxy; and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, his paternal aunt. As the child of the sovereign, Edward was styled from birth as His Royal Highness and held the title The Prince Edward. As with his older siblings, a governess was appointed to look after the Prince and was responsible for his early education at Buckingham Palace. At the age of seven, Edward was then sent to Gibbs School before attending, in September 1972, Heatherdown Preparatory School, near Ascot. He then, as his father and elder brother had done before him, moved to Gordonstoun, in northern Scotland, and was appointed Head Boy in his last term. After this schooling, Edward spent a gap year abroad, working as a house tutor and junior master for two terms in September 1982 at the Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand. Upon his return to the United Kingdom, Edward matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge, reading history. He graduated with a third class Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986, and as is customary was subsequently awarded the Master of Arts (Cantab) degree in 1991, making Edward the fourth of only five members of the Royal Family in history to have obtained a university degree.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Though the show was controversial, it having been reported that the Queen had not approved of the event and that her courtiers had advised against it, in 1993, Edward went on to form the Ardent Television production company, under the name of Edward Windsor, and later Edward Wessex; this led The Guardian, for one, to refer to him as "the Edward formerly known as Prince."[4] Ardent was heavily involved in the production of documentaries and dramas, particularly of material for the Prince’s work. However, he was accused in the media of using his royal connections for personal and business gain, particularly given the financial problems of Ardent since its founding; it reported losses for all years of its existence except one. In 2002, the Prince announced that he would step down as director of production and joint managing director of Ardent to concentrate on his public duties and to support the Queen during her Golden Jubilee year.
Marriage
Career
On leaving university, Prince Edward joined the Royal Marines to train as an officer; however, he resigned his commission in January 1987, before graduation. Edward thereafter became more involved in theatre, an activity he had enjoyed at school and university. In the late 1980s, he worked for two theatrical production companies, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company, where he was part of plays such as Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, and Cats. It was there that Edward met actress Ruthie Henshall, whom he dated for two years. Edward’s first foray into the world of television production was the programme It’s a Royal Knockout, in June 1987, in which teams sponsored by himself and other members of the Royal Family competed for charity.
The Earl and Countess on their wedding day in 1999. The Prince’s engagement to Sophie RhysJones, then a public relations manager with her own firm, was announced on 6 January
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1999. This was amidst "persistent rumours" that the prince may be secretly gay, despite his public denial in the Daily Mirror in 1990[5]. His wife has also publicly denied the rumours in the News of the World[6]. However, the press remained unconvinced, and the announcement was followed by what the Pink Triangle Trust called "a torrent of cynicism"[7]. The wedding itself took place on 19 June of the same year at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. This was a break from the weddings of Edward’s older siblings, which were large, formal events at Westminster Abbey. On his wedding day, the Queen conferred on Prince Edward the titles of Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn, again breaking with the tradition that the son of a sovereign is created a duke. It was also announced at that time that the Earl of Wessex would be created Duke of Edinburgh when the current creation of that dukedom, held by Edward’s father since 1947, reverts to the Crown,[8][2] and that any children of the Earl and Countess would not use the title of Prince or Princess with the style Royal Highness, to which they are entitled under Letters Patent issued by King George V.[9] The Earl and Countess of Wessex have two children, and the family resides at Bagshot Park in Surrey.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
various amounts from the governments of the other realms for his work there. The Earl has, in recent years, succeeded to many of the roles of his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is reducing some commitments owing to his advancing age. The Earl replaced him as President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (since 2006 its Vice-Patron) and opened the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. He has also taken over the Duke’s role in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, attending gold award ceremonies around the world. His other appointments reflect his interests in sport and the arts such as the recent announcement that he will succeed his father as President of the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR).
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
Royal styles of HRH the Earl of Wessex
Official duties
Reference style Spoken style Alternative style
His Royal Highness Your Royal Highness Sir
The Earl of Wessex meets a Monarchist League of Canada volunteer in Toronto, 2005. The Earl of Wessex, along with his wife, carries out a full schedule of royal duties on behalf of the Queen, receiving Civil List monies from the Queen of £141,000 per annum for their work in the United Kingdom,[10] and
• : His Royal Highness The Prince Edward • – : His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex The Prince’s style and title in full: His Royal Highness The Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex, Viscount Severn, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Honorary Member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty. The Earldom of Wessex has a distinguished royal lineage, the Kingdom of Wessex having played the leading role in the unification of Anglo-Saxon England. The last person to hold the title Earl of Wessex was Harold Godwinson, prior to his accession to the English throne as King Harold II in 1066.
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Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
• Colonel-in-Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons • Honorary Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police United Kingdom • • Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
King of Estonia
In 1994, the leaders of Estonia’s (now defunct) Royalist Party, with 10 percent of the seats in the Estonian National Parliament, wrote to Prince Edward indicating that they would, if they came to power, like to offer him the position of King of Estonia. In their letter, they said that they wanted Edward as King because of their admiration "for him, Britain, its monarchy, democracy and culture." It is unknown how, or even if, the Prince responded, but he obviously has not assumed, and almost certainly never will assume, the non-existent throne of this Baltic state.[11]
Royal Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles • Honorary Air Commodore Royal Air Force Waddington • Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Arms
Military ranks
• : Second-Lieutenant, Royal Marines
Honours
10 March 1989 – 2 June 2003: Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) • : Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)[12] • 23 April 2006: Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG) • 1 August 2004: Personal Aide-deCamp to Her Majesty The Queen (AdC(P)) • 11 May 2005: Honorary Member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (SOM)[13] Decorations • 10 March 1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal • 1990: New Zealand Commemorative Medal • 2 June 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal • 7 June 2005: Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan •
Ancestry Issue
Name Lady Louise Windsor (Princess Louise of Wessex) Birth 8 November 2003 Marriage Issue
James, Vis17 count Severn December (Prince 2007 James of Wessex)
See also
• List of British princes
References
[1] As a titled royal, Edward holds no surname, but, when one is used, it is Mountbatten-Windsor (although he has previously used Windsor and Wessex) [2] ^ "The Royal Family > Members of the Royal Family > TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex". Buckingham Palace. http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/ page5561.asp. Retrieved on 2008-03-19. [3] "Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex". The House Of Windsor. English Monarchs. http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/ windsor_18.htm. Retrieved on 2009-01-07. "He was baptised on 2 May,
Honorary degrees
August 1994: Honorary Degree, University of Victoria • 13 October 2007: Honorary Degree, University of Prince Edward Island •
Honorary military appointments
Canada Colonel-in-Chief of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment • Colonel-in-Chief of the Prince Edward Island Regiment[14] •
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1964 at the private chapel at Windsor Castle by the Dean of Windsor and was given the names Edward Anthony Richard Louis." "Wessex Prince... Or Having Your Cake and Eating it", The Guardian, 22 June 1999, http://www.guardian.co.uk/ leaders/story/0,,288894,00.html "Edward’s search for love". United Kingdom: BBC News. 1999-01-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/ 249478.stm. Retrieved on 2009-01-07. "Prince Edward’s forthcoming marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones should finally put to rest persistent rumours about his sexuality... In 1990 he publicly denied being a homosexual when interrogated by reporters on a trip to the United States." Lindsey, Daryl (2001-08-31). "A royal pain". United States: Salon Media Group, Inc.. 2. http://archive.salon.com/people/ feature/2001/08/31/princes/index1.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-07. "Until Prince Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones, all tabloid bets were that he was gay. "I am not gay," Edward famously told London’s Daily Mirror newspaper following reports that he had had a "touching" relationship with the male lead of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical... RhysJones agreed to an interview with the [News of the World], in which she offered, unsolicited, "My Edward is not gay."" Sanderson, Terry (1999). "Reason to be Cheerful". Winter 1999-2000 Issue. United Kingdom: The Pink Triangle Trust. http://www.pinktriangle.org.uk/ glh/192/media.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-07. "Then Prince Edward – long regarded as the Queen’s most likely-tobe-gay offspring – got himself engaged to Ms Sophie Rhys-Jones. This event brought forth a torrent of cynicism from the press" "A Royal Anniversary: The Earl of Wessex Turns 40". Royal Insight (Buckingham Palace) (March 2004). March 2004. http://www.royal.gov.uk/ output/page3025.asp. Retrieved on 2008-10-26. "The Royal Family > Members of the Royal Family > HRH The Earl of Wessex > Marriage and Family". Buckingham
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
[4]
[5]
[6]
Palace. http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/ Page5590.asp. Retrieved on 2008-10-26. [10] "The Monarchy Today > Royal Finances > Financial Arrangements of Other Members of the Royal Family". Buckingham Palace. http://www.royal.gov.uk/OutPut/ Page4968.asp. Retrieved on 2007-12-11. [11] Mayer, Jeremy D.; Sigelman, Lee (December 1998). "Zog for Albania, Edward for Estonia, and Monarchs for All the Rest? The Royal Road to Prosperity, Democracy, and World Peace". PS: Political Science and Politics 31 (4): 771–774. doi:10.2307/420713. http://links.jstor.org/ sici?sici=1049-0965%28199812%2931%3A4%3C771 [12] "St George’s Chapel > History > Orders of Chivalry". St George’s Chapel. http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/ history/hist_chivalry.asp. Retrieved on 2008-10-27. [13] Government of Saskatchewan (11 May 2005). Prince Edward Awarded Saskatchewan Order of Merit. Press release. http://www.gov.sk.ca/ news?newsId=ca1c6377-29fe-4180-8fc9-3e58b0313f Retrieved on 2008-10-27. [14] Canadian Press (5 September 2007), "Prince Edward to visit Canada", Globe and Mail, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ story/RTGAM.20070905.wedward0905/ BNStory/National/home
[7]
External links
• Royal.gov.uk - The Earl of Wessex • Edward Wessex at the Internet Movie Database • Award Winner Receives Royal Treatment (2003) • Earl of Wessex Visits Saskatchewan Regiment (2003) Persondata NAME Wessex, Edward ALTERNATIVE Mountbatten-Windsor, EdNAMES ward Antony Richard Louis SHORT Youngest son of Elizabeth DESCRIPTION II DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH 10 March 1964 London, United Kingdom
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex House of Windsor Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg Born: 10 March 1964 British royalty Preceded by Princess Eugenie of York New creation
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Line of succession to the British Throne 7th position Earl of Wessex 2nd creation 19 June 1999 – present Gentlemen HRH The Earl of Wessex Gentlemen in current practice
Succeeded by Viscount Severn
Peerage of the United Kingdom Incumbent
Heir Apparent: Viscount Severn
Order of precedence in the United Kingdom Preceded by The Duke of York Succeeded by Prince William of Wales Succeeded by Prince Henry of Wales PLACE OF DEATH
DATE OF DEATH
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward,_Earl_of_Wessex" Categories: 1964 births, Old Gordonstounians, Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge, British television presenters, British television producers, Earls of Wessex, Princes of the United Kingdom, Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Knights of the Garter, Living people, Mountbatten-Windsor family, People from Surrey, People from Westminster This page was last modified on 20 May 2009, at 14:08 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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