Prince Edward is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. As the youngest brother of King Charles, he has spent most of his life far from the throne. However, there was once a moment when the prince was unexpectedly offered the chance to become a king.
The unusual proposal came decades ago and involved a country far from Britain.
Believe it or not, Prince Edward was once invited to become the king of Estonia.
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Naturally, King Charles’s brother declined the surprising offer.
Prince Edward was almost king
The unexpected suggestion dates back to 1994. At that time, the Soviet Union had recently collapsed, and several new nations had emerged across Eastern Europe. Estonia was one of them.
During the country’s early elections after gaining independence, a group known as the Independent Royalist Party of Estonia secured eight seats in parliament.
Although the party was largely viewed as a protest movement, its members had a serious idea. They wanted Estonia to become a constitutional monarchy similar to countries like Sweden or Norway.
According to reports from the time, the party’s leader even contacted the British royal family. In the message, he asked whether Prince Edward would consider becoming Estonia’s king.
The group said they would be honoured if the prince accepted the role.
Prince Edward was ‘perfect’ for the job
In their letter, the party reportedly described Edward as “perfect” for the position. They also said they admired the prince “enormously”.
However, the proposal was never seriously considered.
Buckingham Palace responded politely but firmly. Officials reportedly described the suggestion as “a charming idea but a rather unlikely one”.
A few years later, Prince Edward received a very different royal future. In June 1999, when he married Sophie, Queen Elizabeth announced that he would eventually inherit the title Duke of Edinburgh.
At the time, the palace explained: “The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales have also agreed that the Prince Edward should be given the dukedom of Edinburgh in due course when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.”
As Prince Edward celebrates his birthday today, attention has once again turned to his long and stable marriage with Duchess Sophie.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s ‘traditional’ attitudes explained
Body language expert Darren Stanton has previously spoken about the couple’s enduring relationship, on behalf of Betfair Casino.
According to Stanton, Edward and Sophie maintain a more traditional approach to royal life.
He explained: “Their attitude to their relationship is much more in line with the traditional royal standards. They clearly love each other dearly but we would never see the same levels of public illustrators of this as we do with the likes of Mike and Zara Tindall and other royals of their generation.
“We tend to forget, because he is younger than Charles, that he grew up in that same environment and would have been subject to that same strict education on royal protocol. We rarely see Edward and Sophie holding hands, or giving each other a kiss. And when they do their postures and gestures are always incredibly formal. It’s all about royal traditions for them.”
Duchess Sophie supports Prince Edward
Stanton also believes Sophie plays an important role in supporting Edward during public duties.
“I don’t think Edward is the most openly confident man. Key signs which support this include him often putting his hands in his pockets or playing with his cufflinks when he is in the public eye. This is usually a sign of some sort of self soothing. Of the three brothers, he is certainly the most introverted. And you can see that with how reserved he is about his relationship in the public eye.”
Despite this, he says the couple clearly rely on each other.
“Despite this, you can see from his and Sophie’s body language that they have a very strong relationship. They are always making very strong eye contact with each other. There are frequent glances between them for support and reassurance in public appearances. This speaks to how close their bond is.”
The couple in public
Over the years, Edward and Sophie have become increasingly comfortable carrying out royal engagements together.
“They have become much more adept at doing royal engagements since stepping up to senior roles. Partly due to practice, but also due to the ability they have to lean on each other for support.”
Stanton also believes Sophie’s steady presence has helped Edward feel more confident.
“As time goes on you see Edward exhibit far less of the self soothing gestures, like the fiddling with his cufflinks, due to Sophie’s strength and support.”
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