Edinburgh move for Prince Edward was considered by Number 10 in bid to ‘save UK’

Number 10 apparently considered sending Prince Edward to live in Edinburgh in a bid to save the UK amid growing support for indyref2.

With growing calls for a second referendum and surging support for Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP, aides at Number 10 reportedly considered relocating the Queen’s youngest son to live in the capital.

Under the plans, reported by the Daily Mail, Prince Edward and his wife would take up residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The couple would become the public face of the Royal Family in Scotland in a bid to strengthen ties with the rest of the UK, the Mail reported.

But the plan, thought to have been floated last year, was put on hold with Downing Street saying no formal request had been made to the Palace for Prince Edward and wife Sophie to relocate.

Edward has two children with Sophie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, and is currently number 11 in line to the throne.

An SNP source in Edinburgh told Edinburgh Live: “After Prince Harry made such a successful break with England the Earl of Forfar would be welcome to call the capital of an independent Scotland home.”

Holyrood Palace, which sits opposite the Scottish Parliament, is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland and largely used for state occasions.

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Mocking the plan on Twitter, comedian Janey Godley said: “SNP shut up! Indy people SHOOSH if we ALL vote TORY and support the Union – we “MIGHT” get a Prince to live in a castle in Edinburgh- don’t worry it won’t be Andrew, he is busy.”

Reacting to the news, one Twitter user said: “I’d literally never heard of Prince Edward until this morning so I can’t imagine this would have gone over all that well.”

Buckingham Palace told the media it had no knowledge of the plan.