Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG, GCVO, CD, ADC (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964)[2] is the youngest of four children and the third son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. When he was born, he was third in line of succession to the British throne; as of June 2020, he is 11th. The Earl is a full-time working member of the British royal family and supports the Queen in her official duties – often alongside his wife, the Countess of Wessex – as well as undertaking public engagements for many of his own charities. In particular he has assumed many duties from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who retired from public life in 2017. Prince Edward succeeded Prince Philip as president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (vice-patron since 2006) and opened the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. He has also taken over the Duke's role in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex (more)
The Earl in Belfast, February 2015
Born	(1964-03-10) 10 March 1964 Buckingham Palace, London, England
Spouse	Sophie Rhys-Jones ​ ( m. 1999)
Issue	Lady Louise Windsor James, Viscount Severn
Full name Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor[lower-alpha 1]
House	Windsor
Father	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother	Elizabeth II

Early life and education

Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward—at the opening of the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta

Prince Edward was born on 10 March 1964, at Buckingham Palace, London,[3] as the third son, and the fourth and youngest child of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was baptised on 2 May 1964 in the private chapel at Windsor Castle[4] by the Dean of Windsor, Robin Woods.[lower-alpha 2]

As with his older siblings, a governess was appointed to look after Edward and was responsible for his early education at Buckingham Palace before he attended Gibbs School in Kensington. In September 1972, he joined Heatherdown School, near Ascot in Berkshire. Later, as his father and elder brothers had done before him, he moved to Gordonstoun, in northern Scotland, and was appointed head boy in his last term. Edward obtained a C-grade and two D-grades at A-level,[6] and after leaving school spent a gap year abroad, working as a house tutor and junior master for two terms at the Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand.[7][8]

Upon his return to Britain, Edward studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he read History. His admission to Cambridge caused some controversy, since his A-level grades were far below the standard normally required for Oxbridge entrance, "straight As".[9] Edward graduated in 1986 as BA (lower second class honours).[10]

Post-university

Royal Marines

In 1986, on leaving university, Prince Edward joined the Royal Marines, who had paid £12,000 towards his tuition at Cambridge University on condition of future service.[11]

In January 1987, however, Prince Edward dropped out of the gruelling commando course after having completed just one-third of the 12-month training. Media reported that the move prompted a berating from Prince Philip, who was the Captain General Royal Marines at that time and "reduced his son to prolonged tears".[12] Later, others stated that Philip was in fact the most sympathetic family member and that he understood his son's decision.[13]

Theatre and television

After leaving the Marines, Edward opted for a career in entertainment. He commissioned the 1986 musical Cricket from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, for his mother's 60th birthday celebration, which led to a job offer at Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company, where he worked as a production assistant on musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, and Cats.[14] While there he met actress Ruthie Henshall, whom he dated for three years.

Edward's first foray into television production was the programme The Grand Knockout Tournament, informally known as It's a Royal Knockout, on 15 June 1987, in which four teams sponsored by him, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of York competed for charity. The media attacked the programme; it was later reported that the Queen was not in favour of the event and that her courtiers had all advised against it.[15]

Ardent Productions

In 1993, Edward formed the television production company Ardent Productions.[16] Ardent was involved in the production of a number of documentaries and dramas,[17] but Edward was accused in the media of using his royal connections for financial gain,[18] and the company was referred to by some industry insiders as "a sad joke" due to a perceived lack of professionalism in its operations. Andy Beckett, writing in The Guardian, opined that "to watch Ardent's few dozen hours of broadcast output is to enter a strange kingdom where every man in Britain still wears a tie, where pieces to camera are done in cricket jumpers, where people clasp their hands behind their backs like guardsmen. Commercial breaks are filled with army recruiting advertisements".[19]

Ardent's productions were somewhat better received in the United States[20] and a documentary Edward made about his great uncle, Edward VIII (the late Duke of Windsor) in 1996, sold well worldwide.[17][21] Nonetheless, the company reported losses every year it operated save one when Edward did not draw a salary.[16] An Ardent two-man film crew was alleged to have invaded the privacy of his nephew Prince William in September 2001, when he was studying at the University of St Andrews, against industry guidelines regarding the privacy of members of the royal family;[22] William's father, Charles, Prince of Wales, was reportedly angered by the incident.[23] In March 2002, Edward announced that he would step down as production director and joint managing director of Ardent[16] to concentrate on his public duties and to support the Queen during her Golden Jubilee year. Ardent Productions was voluntarily dissolved in June 2009, with assets reduced to just £40.[24]

Marriage

Main article: Wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones

The Earl and Countess of Wessex at Trooping the Colour in June 2013

Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones, then a public relations executive with her own firm, in 1994.[25] Their engagement was announced on 6 January 1999. Edward proposed to Sophie with an Asprey and Garrard engagement ring worth an estimated £105,000: a two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped gemstones set in 18-carat white gold.[26]

Their wedding took place on 19 June 1999 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. This was a departure from the weddings of his elder brothers, which were large, formal events at Westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral, and had ended in divorce. On his wedding day, Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex, with the subsidiary title of Viscount Severn (derived from the Welsh roots of the Countess's family),[27][28] breaking from a tradition whereby sons of the sovereign were created royal dukes. It was however revealed that the Queen wished that he be elevated from the rank of Earl to Duke of Edinburgh after that dukedom, held by Prince Philip since 1947, reverts to the Crown[2] (after the death of the current Duke and the Queen[29]), and for his children to be styled as the children of an Earl, rather than as prince/ss and royal highness.[30]

He and his wife have two children: Lady Louise Windsor, born 8 November 2003, and James, Viscount Severn, born 17 December 2007. They were born at Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley. They reside at Bagshot Park in Surrey. While their private residence is Bagshot Park, their office and official London residence is based at Buckingham Palace.[31]

Activities

Edward visiting Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls, Auckland, October 1992

The Earl of Wessex assumed many duties from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, as the Duke reduced his commitments because of his age. Prince Edward succeeded Prince Philip as president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (vice-patron since 2006) and opened the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and 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.[32]

The Earl of Wessex in Kandahar, Afghanistan, December 2011

The Earl and Countess of Wessex established their foundation The Wessex Youth Trust in 1999, with a focus on helping, supporting and advancing registered charities which provide opportunities specifically for children and young people.[33] His patronages include: the British Paralympic Association,[34] the International Real Tennis Professionals Association,[35] the Commonwealth Games Federation,[36][37] BadmintonScotland,[38] the Tennis and Rackets Association,[39] City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus,[40][41] London Mozart Players,[42] Haddo House Choral and Operatic Society,[43] Northern Ballet,[44][45] the Edinburgh International Festival,[46] and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.[47]

In September 2007, the Earl visited Israel in his capacity as chair of the International Council of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to attend a number of events organised by the Israel Youth Award program, an affiliate of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award which was founded by his father to recognise adolescents and young adults for completing a series of self-improvement exercises.[48] Edward was himself a recipient of the award's gold medal in 1986 for "a 60-mile, four-day trek from Blair Atholl to Tomintoul" that he had planned.[49] Edward later went on to become the chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award,[50] and has promoted its work on different occasions.[51][52][53][54] In addition to being the chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, Edward is also a trustee of the International Award Association, which "encompasses the DofE UK and all its other 61 National Award Authorities across the globe".[55] He was also chair of its international council and in 1999 founded the International Special Projects Group "to provide a capital fund to broaden the reach of the Award".[56]

The Earl of Wessex at Yate, Gloucestershire, December 2011

In June 2011, Edward visited Baltimore to meet the students and staff of the Living Classrooms Foundation and encourage them to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award's programme.[57] In December 2011, the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited troops in Afghanistan. On the same trip, the royal couple visited Bahrain, and received two gifts of jewels from the Bahraini royal family and Prime Minister. Given concern about human rights abuses in Bahrain, this gift attracted controversy, with calls for the jewels to be sold, and the proceeds used for the benefit of the Bahraini people.[58] In February and March 2012, the couple visited the Caribbean for the Diamond Jubilee. The itinerary consisted of Saint Lucia; Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Grenada; Trinidad and Tobago; Montserrat; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda. Highlights included Independence Day celebrations in Saint Lucia,[59] addressing Senate and Assembly of Barbados jointly,[60] and a visit to sites affected by the volcanic eruptions in Montserrat.

In 2013, the couple visited South Africa.[61] The Queen appointed the Earl of Wessex as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2014.[62][63] In 2015, for his contributions to projects associated with badminton, Edward was awarded the President's Medal by the Badminton World Federation President Poul-Erik Høyer.[64] In May 2016, the Earl visited Ghana. Alongside President Mahama, he presented young people with the Head of State Awards for their participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Scheme.[65] In September 2016, Edward travelled to Chile as a part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award's diamond anniversary, and visited projects by British and Commonwealth Fire and Rescue Company and Chilean-British Culture University, of which he is an honorary member and patron respectively.[66] The Earl and Countess of Wessex represented the Queen at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne of Brunei in October 2017.[67] In February 2018, the Earl and Countess toured Sri Lanka, participating in the 70th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo.[68][69] In April 2018, the Earl visited Australia to attend the XXI Commonwealth Games and attend fundraising events for those participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award challenges.[70][71]

After twenty years, the Wessex Youth Trust is reverting to its previous name – The Earl and Countess of Wessex Charitable Trust – and will be managed by the Private Office of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. There will be no change to the Trust's broad charitable objectives: it will focus on developing sustainable relationships with a range of selected partner charities and will expand its remit beyond supporting children and young people.[72]

In July 2019, the Earl and Countess visited Forfar on their first official visit to the town since the Queen granted the Earl the additional title Earl of Forfar in March 2019.[73] The Earl was presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, which has been designed to celebrate their new titles by town firm the Strathmore Woollen Company. The weave is based on the existing Forfar tartan, which the company designed in 2004 around the colours on the Forfar coat of arms. The geometry remains virtually the same, but the colours have been strengthened, with Azure blue replaced by the St Andrew's blue of the Scottish flag, and white yarns replaced by a brown to reflect the rich agriculture of the surrounding area.[74][75][76]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 10 March 1964 – 19 June 1999: His Royal Highness The Prince Edward
• 19 June 1999 – present: His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex[77]
• in Scotland: 10 March 2019 – present: His Royal Highness The Earl of Forfar[78][79]

Before Edward's marriage in 1999, royal commentators conjectured that former royal dukedoms such as Cambridge or Sussex might be granted to him. Instead, the Palace announced the intention that Prince Edward would eventually be created Duke of Edinburgh, once that title had reverted to The Crown upon the death of both his parents.[80][lower-alpha 3]

On his marriage in 1999, the prince was ennobled in keeping with tradition, however he was the first prince since the Tudors to be known as an earl rather than a duke (while reserving the rank of duke for the future).[81] The Sunday Telegraph reported that he was drawn to the Earldom of Wessex after watching the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, in which a character with that title is played by Colin Firth.[82]

On 10 March 2019, on his 55th birthday, the Earl of Wessex was granted the additional title of Earl of Forfar for use in Scotland.[78][79][83]

Honours

See also: List of honours of the British royal family by country

• 6 February 1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
• 6 February 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
• 23 April 2006: Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG)[84]
• 10 March 2011: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)[85]
  • 2 June 2003 – 10 March 2011: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)[86]
  • 10 March 1989 – 2 June 2003: Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)[87]
• 6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

Commonwealth

• 9 February 1990: New Zealand Commemorative Medal
• 11 May 2005: Honorary Member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (SOM)[88]
• 7 June 2005: Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
• 29 October 2015: Canadian Forces' Decoration[89]
• 5 October 2017: Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal[90][67]

Military appointments

• October 1986 – January 1987: Officer Cadet, Royal Marines
• 1 August 2004 – present: Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty The Queen (AdC(P))

Honorary military appointments

Canada

• 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
• 2003: Colonel-in-Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons
• 2005: Colonel-in-Chief of the Prince Edward Island Regiment
• 2007: Honorary Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

United Kingdom

• 2003: Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry[91]
• 2006: Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
• 2007: Royal Colonel of 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
• 2008: Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Waddington
• 2011: Royal Honorary Colonel of the London Regiment[92]

Civic appointments

• 2008: Liveryman Honoris Causa, Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
• 2008: Liveryman Honoris Causa, Worshipful Company of Gardeners
• 2011: Freeman of the City of London
• 2011: Member, Court of Assistants, Worshipful Company of Haberdashers[93]
• 2011: Member, Court of Assistants, Worshipful Company of Gardeners
• 2013: Master, Worshipful Company of Gardeners
• 2014: Lord High Commissioner, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland[94]

Academic appointments

• 2013 – present: Chancellor of the University of Bath[95]

Honorary degrees

• 1994: Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Victoria
• 2007: Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Prince Edward Island[96]
• 2013: Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Bath[95]

Arms

Coat of arms of the Earl of Wessex

Notes The Earl's personal coat of arms is that of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with a label for difference Adopted 1983 Coronet The coronet of a son of the sovereign Proper, thereon a lion statant gardant Or crowned of the same coronet charged with a label as in the arms. Escutcheon Quarterly, 1st and 4th Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langed Azure, 2nd Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory counterflory of the Second, 3rd Azure a harp Or stringed Argent Supporters Dexter, a lion rampant gardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Sinister, a unicorn Argent, armed, crined and unguled Or, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses pattées and fleurs de lis a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or Motto The Order of the Garter circlet. Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame be to him who thinks evil of it) Other elements The whole differenced by a label of three points Argent the central point charged with a Tudor rose. Banner The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom labelled for difference as in his arms. (In Scotland: ) Symbolism As with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The first and fourth quarters are the arms of England, the second of Scotland, the third of Ireland.

Personal flag for Canada

Main article: Royal standards of Canada § Other members of the Royal Family

Flag of the Earl of Wessex for use in Canada

Since 2014, the Earl of Wessex has a personal heraldic flag for use in Canada. It is the Royal Arms of Canada in banner form defaced with a blue roundel surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, within which is a depiction of an "E" surmounted by a coronet. Above the roundel is a white label of three points, the centre one charged with a Tudor rose.[97][98]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex[99]

8. George I of Greece 4. Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark 9. Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia 2. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark 10. Prince Louis of Battenberg 5. Princess Alice of Battenberg 11. Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine 1. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex 12. George V of the United Kingdom 6. George VI of the United Kingdom 13. Princess Mary of Teck 3. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 14. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne 7. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 15. Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck

See also

• List of British princes

Notes

1. Edward does not usually use a family name but when one is needed, it is Mountbatten-Windsor.[1]
2. Edward's godparents were: Prince Richard of Gloucester (his mother's cousin); the Duchess of Kent (his mother's cousin-in-law, for whom Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, his mother's aunt, stood proxy); Princess George William of Hanover (his aunt); the Prince of Hesse and by Rhine (his first cousin twice removed); and the Earl of Snowdon (his uncle).[5]
3. The Earl of Wessex would not automatically succeed his father, as titles are passed to the eldest son; hence, the current Prince of Wales would succeed the present Duke. Once the Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne, any titles he has inherited (or will later inherit, if the current Duke is still alive) from his father will merge with the Crown, and he will be free to re-create the Dukedom of Edinburgh

References

1. "The Royal Family name". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
2. "TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex". Members of The Royal Family. Buckingham Palace. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
3. "No. 43268". The London Gazette. 11 March 1964. p. 2255.
4. "Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex". The House Of Windsor. English Monarchs. Retrieved 7 January 2009. He was baptised on 2 May 1964, at the private chapel at Windsor Castle by the Dean of Windsor and was given the names Edward Anthony Richard Louis.
5. "Yvonne's Royalty Home Page: Royal Christenings". users.uniserve.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
6. "The family qualifications". The Daily Telegraph. London. 16 October 2006.
7. "Wanganui Collegiate School [Summary]". Heritage New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
8. Butterworth, Hugh Montagu; Cooksey [ed.], Jon (2011). Blood and Iron: Letters from the Western Front. Casement. p. 218. ISBN 9781848844919.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
9. "The prince with a difference". BBC News. 11 June 1999.
10. Watson, Jeremy (12 June 2005). "William enjoys a degree of success". The Scotsman. Edinburgh.
11. "Commando Life Losing Appeal for Prince?". New York Times. 12 January 1987. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
12. "Edward Goes His Own Way". people.com. People. 26 January 1987. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
13. Seward, Ingrid (2017). "Chapter 9: Watching the Family Grow". My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1471159589.
14. "Prince Edward Joins the Theater at 'Lowest Rung'". LA Times. 19 January 1988. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
15. Ben Pimlott "Polishing Their Image", extract from The Queen, HarperCollins (1996) reprinted on the PBS Frontline webpage
16. Beckett, Andy (5 March 2002). "It's a royal cock-up". The Guardian. London.
17. Ardent Productions Filmography, BFI Film & TV Database
18. Karlin, Susan (26 September 1998). "Edward Windsor: Truly a Prince Among Producers". Los Angeles Times.
19. Becket, Andy (4 March 2002). "It's a royal cock-up". The Guardian.
20. "Edward: No intention to offend". BBC News. 2 September 1999.
21. Summerskill, Ben (29 October 2000). "Losses double at Prince's TV firm". The Guardian. London.
22. "Edward's turbulent media career". BBC News. 27 September 2001.
23. Alderson, Andrew (30 September 2001). "Prince Edward to apologise to Queen and agrees to stop making royal films". The Sunday Telegraph. London.
24. Moore, Matthew (29 March 2010). "Prince Edward's Ardent Productions left with assets of just £40". The Daily Telegraph. London.
25. Skyes, Tom (25 July 2012). "Sex Lives of the New Royals". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
26. "Crown jewels: The fabulous rings which sealed the love of Europe's royal couples". HELLO! magazine. UK.
27. "No. 55536". The London Gazette. 28 June 1999. p. 7011.
28. "Wessex titles for Edward and Sophie". BBC News. 19 June 1999. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
29. Whitaker's Almanack 2010, page 46 'Peers of the Blood Royal'
30. "The Royal Family > Members of the Royal Family > HRH The Earl of Wessex > Marriage and Family". Buckingham Palace. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
31. "Royal Residences: Buckingham Palace". royal.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
32. "The Duke of Edinburgh's Award". Royal family. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
33. "The Wessex Youth Trust". wessexyouthtrust.org.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
34. "Earl and Countess of Wessex toast athletes' success at Paralympic Ball". Hello!. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
35. "The 2018 Real Tennis Challenge Formal Dinner". Hobart Real Tennis Club. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
36. "HRH Prince Edward to attend inaugural Commonwealth Sports Summit". Common Wealth Games Canada. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
37. "The Battle for Britain: May vs Sturgeon, in pictures". The Daily Telegraph. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
38. "Royal honour for school sports stars". East Renfrewshire Council. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
39. Zug, James (October 2009). "For a Real Tennis Match, Look to Prince Edward". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
40. "Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's opening concert a right Royal sell out". Birmingham City University. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
41. "Mirga meets our Royal Patron". City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
42. Barr, Rachel. "Prince Edward visits Croydon for London Mozart Players' anniversary concert". South West Londoner. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
43. "Our History". Haddo House Choral & Operatic Society. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
44. "Royal Connections". Northern Ballet. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
45. "A Prince of England meets the Queen of the Nile". Northern Ballet. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
46. "Prince takes up the baton as festival patron". The Times. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
47. Earl of Wessex attends concert with Julian Lloyd Webber at Birmingham Conservatoire • The Crown Chronicles
48. Lefkovits, Etgar (4 September 2007). "Prince Edward to arrive today; 1st royal visit in decade". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
49. "The Duke of Edinburgh presenting Prince Edward with his Gold Award 1986". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
50. "HRH The Duke of Edinburgh". The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
51. Barry, Sion (29 September 2016). "The Earl of Wessex on why the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme is good for business". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
52. "Prince Edward speaks at Duke of Edinburgh's International Award ceremony". CBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
53. Schelzig, Erik (23 May 2013). "Prince Edward visits Tennessee to promote Duke of Edinburgh's Award". The Daily Times. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
54. "The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Diamond Anniversary royally celebrated in Hackney". Hackney Council. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
55. "The Duke of Edinburgh Award International Association". Bright Future Trust. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
56. "The Earl and Countess of Wessex to Visit Jamaica [March 2014]". Jamaica Information Service. 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
57. Green, Erica (21 June 2011). "Prince Edward presents city's youth a royal challenge". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
58. Sawer, Patrick (8 January 2012). "How a routine royal visit spelt trouble for the Countess of Wessex". The Daily Telegraph. London.
59. "Royals to begin Caribbean tour bypasses Dominica". The Dominican. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
60. Lynch, Sharon (27 January 2012). "Barbados: Royal Visit To Mark Queen's Diamond Jubilee". Bajan Sun Online. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
61. Seward, Ingrid (23 November 2013). "Sophie Wessex: The unsung star of the Royal family". The Telegraph.
62. The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Government, 2014.
63. "No. 27354". The Edinburgh Gazette. 17 January 2014. p. 65.
64. "BADMINTONscotland Patron, HRH The Earl of Wessex honoured with BWF President's Medal". Badminton Scotland. November 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
65. "Prince Edward to visit Ghana". Gov.uk. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
66. "Youth, Community and Service; Visit by HRH Prince Edward to Chile". Gov.uk. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
67. "Edward & Sophie attend Sultan of Brunei's Golden Jubilee celebrations". thecrownchronicles.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
68. "The Earl and Countess of Wessex commemorate Sri Lanka's 70th Anniversary of Independence". royal.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
69. Foreign invitees to Independence Day Anniversary celebrations call on President
70. "Prince Edward in town to promote Duke of Edinburgh's International Awards". The Mercury. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
71. Hutchinson, Samantha (6 April 2018). "Prince Edward arrives in Melbourne for Duke of Edinburgh International Awards ceremony". The Weekend Australian. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
72. "Changes to The Wessex Youth Trust". wessexyouthtrust.org.uk.
73. "The Earl and Countess of Forfar visit Forfar". royal.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
74. "VIDEO: 'Honour' to be named Earl of Forfar says Prince Edward as town welcomes him with bridies, tartan and fiddles". thecourier.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
75. The Royal Family [@RoyalFamily] (1 July 2019). "His Royal Highness is presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, which has been designed for Their Royal Highnesses to celebrate their new titles" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
76. "Tartan Details - Earl of Forfar, The". tartanregister.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
77. "No. 55536". The London Gazette. 28 June 1999. p. 7011.
78. "Title for the Earl of Wessex". The Royal Family.
79. "No. 62588". The London Gazette. 15 March 2019. p. 4737.
80. "The Earl of Wessex - Styles and titles". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014..
81. "Duke". Debrett's. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
82. Eden, Richard (12 December 2010). "Royal wedding: Prince William asks the Queen not to make him a duke". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
83. Richardson, Hollie (10 March 2019). "The Queen gives Prince Edward an incredible gift on his birthday". Hello!. msn Lifestyle. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
84. "Appointments to the Order of the Garter 2006" (Press release). Official website of the Royal Family. 23 April 2006. The Queen has also been graciously pleased to appoint His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, KCVO, to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
85. "No. 59724". The London Gazette. 11 March 2011. p. 4555.
86. "No. 56951". The London Gazette. 2 June 2003. p. 6753.
87. "No. 51673". The London Gazette. 14 March 1989. p. 3193.
88. "Prince Edward Awarded Saskatchewan Order of Merit" (Press release). Government of Saskatchewan. 11 May 2005. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
89. "Honours & recognition for the men and women of the Canadian Forces 2015" (PDF), Department of National Defence, p. 28
90. The Royal Family [@RoyalFamily] (5 October 2017). "The Earl and Countess of Wessex are in Brunei to attend The Sultan of Brunei's Golden Jubilee celebrations" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
91. "No. 57032". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 August 2003. p. 10318.
92. "No. 59772". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 May 2011. p. 8211.
93. "The Earl of Wessex: Honours and appointments". Royal Household.
94. Number 10 – Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 2014 (accessed 8 December 2013)
95. "The Chancellor". Retrieved 7 November 2013.
96. "Prince Edward gives medals to P.E.I. soldiers". CTV. 14 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 November 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
97. "Canadian Flags of the Royal Family". Canadian Crown. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
98. "The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex". Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Office of the Governor General of Canada: Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
99. Paget, Gerald (1977). The Lineage and Ancestry of H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (2 vols). Edinburgh: Charles Skilton. ISBN 978-0-284-40016-1.

External links

• "The Earl of Wessex". at the Royal Family website.
• Prince Edward, earl of Wessex at the Encyclopædia Britannica
• Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex on IMDb

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex House of Windsor Born: 10 March 1964
Lines of succession
Preceded by Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank	Succession to the British throne 11th in line	Followed by Viscount Severn
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Earl of Wessex 1999–present	Incumbent Heir: James, Viscount Severn
	Earl of Forfar 2019–present
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Duke of York	Gentlemen The Earl of Wessex	Followed by The Duke of Cambridge
	Gentlemen in current practice	Followed by The Duke of Sussex
Academic offices
Preceded by The Lord Tugendhat	Chancellor of the University of Bath 2013–present	Incumbent