Prince Edward of Wessex (1964) is the fourth son of Queen Elizabeth II of England and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is currently ranked eleventh in the line of succession to the title of the British Crown.
The youngest of Queen Elizabeth II has three royal titles: that of Royal Highness that he has held since his birth, that of Earl of Wessex since 1999 and that of Earl of Forfar that is only used in Scotland with his wife Sophie.
The_Earl_of_Wessex_in_2011.jpg: yatearmadilloderivative work: Surtsicna, via Wikimedia Commons.
He had military training, but he excelled in the world of the arts, specifically theater and television. He later resigned his obligations in the entertainment world to fully dedicate himself to his role within British royalty.
Biography
Early years
Edward of Wessex was born on March 10, 1964 at Buckingham Palace, the royal residence of the Royal House with Queen Elizabeth II at the helm. His full name is Eduardo Antonio Ricardo Luis Mountbatten-Windsor and he is the youngest of the four children that Queen Elizabeth II of England had with Prince Philip of Edinburgh.
The youngest son of the queen was considered a lonely child with a great passion for books. For the first seven years of his life, he was educated by a tutor and he received his lessons at Buckingham Palace.
Then his studies were developed in Kensington, at Gibbs School, while his secondary studies were at Heatherdown School. She subsequently attended the same university as her father, Gordonstoun, where she showed great skills for sports.
His academic training continued, when he enrolled for two periods at the University of Wanganui, in New Zealand, where he became a tutor and supervisor of some drama classrooms.
During his studies at Cambridge, he began to awaken his passion for drama. This new interest led him to abandon his training with the Royal Marine Corps to dedicate himself fully to the theater.
Finally, in 1986 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University and became the fourth person from British royalty to achieve a degree at the university level.
Family
Charles, the Prince of Wales; Andrew, Duke of York; and Ana, royal princess are his three brothers.
He received the title of Earl of Wessex when he married Sophie Rhys-Jones, with whom he remains united. The couple already have two children, Luisa and Jacobo, twelfth and thirteenth in the line of succession after their father.
Theater and television
After graduating from college, Edward of Wessex decided to enlist with the Royal Marine Corps. A training that only lasted about three months, as the prince abandoned his training as a cadet to work professionally in the theater.
Throughout ten years Eduardo de Wessex maintained a successful career in the arts, working in both theater and television productions.
He collaborated with two different production companies before founding his own company in 1993. He made them using the name Eduardo Windsor. The production company, called Ardent Productions, focused on projects for independent television.
In 2002 he decided to put aside his role in the entertainment world to focus on fulfilling his royal obligations.
Jobs
His production company focused much of his work on making documentaries that focused on the life of a member of the British royal family. For a long time this generated strong criticism, as he was accused of using his real connections and ties to generate his professional success.
As a producer and writer some of his best known works were: Tales of the Tower (2001) or Ghost Castle of Ireland and Ghost Castle of Scotland (both produced in 1996).
Royal title
When he was born he was awarded the title of Royal Highness. Later, in 1999 he received the title of Earl of Wessex, something unusual since the children of kings usually receive the title of dukes when they marry.
There was a possibility that Edward of Wessex received the Duchies of Cambridge or Sussex (currently Prince Charles and William, sons of Prince Charles). However, Edward was made Earl of Wessex while in the line of succession to become Duke of Edinburgh. The title is currently held by his father.
All of this made him the first British Crown Prince to be made Earl rather than Duke as tradition dictates.
The title of Earl of Wessex, moreover, had not been awarded for almost a thousand years. It was first created in 1001, when Godwin of Wessex was named after the king. The title was in the possession of Harold Godwinson and Guillermo FitzOsbern, until the year 1071.
Present
When he left his position as director of his production company, he did so to take over many of the royal duties and duties of his father, the Duke of Edinburgh. Although in the past it was common to see him in certain commitments of the royal house, it was in 2002 when he gave it full priority.
From his university stage he has been very attached to the tasks that have to do with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. He even won one of these awards when he was studying, receiving a medal from his own father. His trips have also been several, since he has visited more than 25 nations as a representative of the British royal family.
In addition, he is very active in activities that have to do with fundraising for different organizations, social causes in which he is very involved since he left the world of the arts.
Together with his wife, he runs a foundation aimed at helping the youngest, whose name is The Wessex Youth Trust. This charity has collaborated with the Paralympic Association, with dance companies or with conservatories and orchestras.
He is also the president of the Federation of the Commonwealth Games, a position he occupies after his father. This Federation is in charge of organizing the games that are held every four years and that include sports such as athletics, swimming, cycling, badminton, cricket or polo.
References
- Edward Wessex. Recovered from imdb.com
- Edward, Earl of Wessex. (2019). Recovered from biography.com
- Kellner, P. Prince Edward - Siblings, Children, & Facts. Recovered from britannica.com
- Prince edward Recovered from npg.org.uk
- Seward, I. (2017). My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage. Simon & Schuster UK.