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It is now more than three decades since Prince Edward dramatically quit the Royal Marine training programme.
Back in 1987, it had been hoped the Queen’s youngest son might be something of a royal advertisement for our armed forces.
When it emerged that Edward’s father, Prince Philip, was Captain General of the Marines, the embarrassment intensified.
Edward’s reputation fared little better with his next move that same year.
The Duke of Edinburgh meets young people at a south east London youth centre
Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, wears the Order of the Thistle for the first time at the service of dedication for a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, RFA Stirling Castle, in Leith
Prince Edward and Sophie hug after her emotional speech praising him on his 60th birthday when she said ‘I am so proud of the man he is. He is the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and still is my best friend
Attempting to embark on a theatrical career the Prince created the disastrous TV special which became known as ‘It’s a Royal Knockout’, featuring members of the Royal Family in silly games compered by Stuart Hall.
Remembered even now as a national humiliation, the episode remains a sore point for Edward. The following years, including a stint with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful group, brought little comfort and when he formed his own company Ardent, he was accused of only producing royal related films.
Yet what a turnaround we see today.
According to a recent YouGov poll, Edward – now a key figure in the Monarchy – has seen the greatest rise in popularity over time of any member of the Royal Family.
The Prince has been just been appointed Colonel of the Scots Guards, succeeding the 88-year-old Duke of Kent – an honour bestowed upon him by his elder brother, the King.
It is one of several.
Last year, on Edward’s 59th birthday, Charles made him the Duke of Edinburgh, the title their father had held. This year, Edward was awarded the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest royal honour.
It is all a fitting reward not just for plain hard work, but thorough-going decency.
Edward, who has just celebrated his 60th birthday, has seldom enjoyed much positive media attention.
When he married Sophie Rhys -Jones in 1999, he was accused of making money from the TV coverage of the wedding.
Two years later when Prince William started at the university of St Andrews, Edwards TV company Ardent filmed the student Prince while other media had agreed to back off.
Being very much a private person, Edward was humiliated by the ticking off he received. His calm exterior masking a less confident individual than he cares to portray.
Marriage and fatherhood have matured him – he credits much of this to his wife Sophie – but he still lacks the spontaneous warmth deployed so successfully in public by his elder brother the King.
He can certainly come across as rather thoughtless, much like his siblings, but that is not entirely his own fault.
The royal offspring of his generation were raised to have everything done for them from the complicated to the mundane.
No wonder Edward likes order and expects things to be done properly.
He is said to find the whole business of being royal very constraining at times but has learnt to live alongside it, unworried that everything is done for him.
He can sometimes be arrogant but he is never openly condescending towards people.
He is kind and has a self-deprecating sense of humour. He writes his speeches himself and delivers them with humour.
If his words seem to be falling flat, he simply presses on, protected by the mantle of royalty and secure in the knowledge that sooner or later he is certain to raise a laugh.
Within the immediate family he is closest to his sister the Princess Royal.
They have certain similarities: the more they feel appreciated the more responsive they are.
Major General Sir Michael Hobbs a former Director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award once summed Edward up perfectly.
‘He’s all the things he doesn’t appear to be in his public image. He’s not a prig and he’s not in the least pompous.
Prince Edward was accused of making money from the TV coverage of his wedding to Sophie
Prince Edward was ticked off when TV company Ardent filmed the student Prince William – his nephew – while other media had agreed to back off
Prince Edward is closest to elder sister, Princess Anne, says Ingrid Seward
‘He shows strong traits of his late father but is a product of his own generation. There is a degree of softness there which makes him a thoroughly decent chap.’
It has been a long, long wait, but it looks as though the public is now starting to agree.
- Ingrid Seward is author of My Mother & I – the relationship between the late Queen and King Charles and editor in chief of Majesty magazine
‘He’s all the things he doesn’t appear to be in his public image. He’s not a prig and he’s not in the least pompous.
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