Jaw-dropping moment Prince Edward was given the opportunity to be king but was forced to turn down the crown
All hail King Edward!?
On one surprising occasion, Prince Edward was given the opportunity to be king…despite being way back in the line of succession.
As Prince Edward turns 62 today, we are looking back on this rather eyebrow-raising story and wondering what the world would have been like with Prince Edward as king.
You might be baffled by the headline, but it really is true. Once upon a time, Prince Edward was offered the role of king – of Estonia.
Unsurprisingly, King Charles’s brother had turn this bizarre offer down.
Prince Edward was almost king
In 1994, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, several new countries were established in Eastern Europe – including Estonia,
In the country’s first elections following the collapse of the USSR, the Independent Royalist Party of Estonia managed to secure eight seats in parliament.
The party was mostly a protest group and they wished for Estonia to be recognised as a monarchy – like Sweden or Norway.
As per the Sunday Telegraph at the time, the leader of the party reached out to the British royal family.
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They asked if Prince Edward would become their king. They said they would be honoured if he were to accept this opportunity.
Prince Edward was ‘perfect’ for the job
Their letter was said to have described Prince Edward as “perfect” for the role. They were said to have admired the prince “enormously”.
Probably unsurprisingly, Buckingham Palace reportedly responded describing it as a “a charming idea but a rather unlikely one”.
Five years later, Queen Elizabeth shared that Prince Edward was set to claim another special title. In the June of 1999, when Edward wed Sophie, the queen made a promise that he would become the Duke of Edinburgh in the future.
The palace stated at the time: “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, all eyes are on the prince. Especially, his famously happy marriage with Duchess Sophie.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s ‘traditional’ attitudes explained
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton has discussed the couple’s traditional yet thriving bond.
He said of the duo who have been married 27 years: “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
“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, 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. If you are a more introverted person and have been pushed into a more public role, as Edward has since the Queen died, he will be looking for someone who makes him feel safe in these situations. His regular glances to Sophie show how much love there is between them.
The couple in public
“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. 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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