Prince Edward, who has caused fans to concern over his health, has often chosen to stay out of the limelight as a member of the Royal Family. Indeed until the later years of Queen Elizabeth’s life, he had a career as did his with, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
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Before being given the title Duke of Edinburgh, which was Prince Philip’s title, Prince Edward was only an Earl and wasn’t given a dukedom, which is traditionally given on the wedding day.
It is believed that this was actually Prince Edward’s choice and not a snub since he preferred a quieter life. It may also have to do with the Prince’s love for theatre that he chose to be an Earl and not a Duke.
Prince Edward wanted a quiet life
Prince Edward and Sophie didn’t become working Royals until 2002 at Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. His choice to not be a working Royal may have played a role in the reason why he didn’t want to be a Duke.
According to Express, Prince Edward was passionate about theatre after being in The Royal Marines. He then decided to open his own theatre company Ardent Productions. At the same time, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, worked in PR and also opened her own company, RJH Public Relations. Sophie was later caught in a scandal due to her PR company.
Even though the pair became working Royals, they preferred to do their work away from the camera and often stayed out of the limelight. However, in the last few years, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been more public about their roles.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Edward: A sneak peek inside his mansion that could be worth £30 million
⋙ Prince Philip broke royal tradition when Prince Edward was born
Prince Edward didn’t want to be a Duke
When it was announced that Edward and Sophie would only be Earl and Countess of Wessex, it was quite a shock, since most other male members of the Royal Family are Dukes, King Charles was once Duke of Cornwall and Prince Andrew is the Duke of York and of course, Princes William and Harry are also Dukes.
Read more ⋙ Royal Family: Here's why Prince Edward and Sophie's children never appear on their Christmas cards
As reported by Mirror, Prince Edward was originally offered the title of Duke of Cambridge, which was later given to Prince William, but declined the offer. It is believed that Prince Edward had asked for a lesser title after a character in the film Shakespeare in Love.
A source spoke to the Telegraph in 2010 and was later quoted by Mirror saying:
Prince Edward was going to be the Duke of Cambridge, but he watched the film Shakespeare in Love... He liked the sound of [Earl of Wessex] and asked the Queen if he could have that instead
Sources used:
The List: ‘Strange Things Everyone Ignores About Prince Edward’
Mirror: ‘Prince Edward 'rejected' Prince William's title and had 'unusual request' for Queen’
Express: ‘Edward and Sophie: From reluctant royals to Queen's 'firm favourites'
