Sunday, March 10 was Prince Edward’s 60th birthday. He was out in Leeds two days prior, with his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. They attended the Community Sport and Recreation Awards 2024 at Headingley Stadium, and Edward was presented with a birthday cake (which delighted him). Edward has been doing more youth-oriented events recently, probably because of his inherited patronage of the DofE Awards.
Edward is the youngest of QEII and Prince Philip’s children, so he’s leaning hard into the “spring chicken” vibe for the working royals, especially with Prince William and Kate largely MIA this year. That was the (soft) focus of several birthday-keenery pieces in various media outlets. The Daily Beast’s Royalist column claimed that Edward “might finally be about to get his big break,” and sources insist that Edward “has dedicated much of his life to public service and charitable work. He has always been very clear about his role which is to support the monarchy. Previously that meant doing what his mother asked, now it means doing what his brother asks. He has always been loyal and Charles likes him enormously and is very grateful to him.” Sources also say that there’s little tension between Charles and Edward because Edward isn’t a showboat, nor does he seek the limelight and “He is content to be a thread in the tapestry.” Edward also made some on-the-record comments to Becky English at the Mail:
Edward on his support system: ‘Well, you need a really good supportive network in this and family is incredibly important. I am just very, very lucky that Sophie is a brilliant, brilliant person in her own right,’ he tells me, smiling from ear to ear. It’s worth noting that he is the only one of the late Queen’s children never to have divorced.
Edward travels by foot when he can: Although the prince drives during our day together, he is one of the few royals who often travels by foot – and even the Tube – to work. A friend who has holidayed with the Edinburghs tells me the couple happily go down to the local Co-op to get supplies.
His favorite hobbies: Edward’s favourite pastime is walking alone in the countryside with his beloved spaniel, Mole.But he is also, I am also told, a ‘demon’ BBQ-er, and can often be found outside in the dark at parties wearing a head torch and creating ‘truly amazing’ culinary delights – a talent inherited from his late father.
On his weight loss: I remark to another friend that the duke has lost a notable amount of weight, and wonder if he has embraced a new fitness regime as he approaches his 60s. ‘I hate to bore you, but he’s just remarkably disciplined. He is not a big eater or drinker and certainly not a smoker. He just isn’t a pudding man,’ they say.
Edward on the king’s health: When we meet, I ask Edward about his brother the King’s health. He smiles wanly, understandably emotional given how raw the news is. ‘We were all hugely grateful for the extraordinary support from everyone. I know he has been very touched by it all. He’s doing well, we are keeping our fingers crossed that it all goes very well,’ he says.
Some people naturally thin out as they get older and some people put on weight as they get older. It does seem strange that rather suddenly, over the course of about two years in his late 50s, Edward suddenly lost a noticeable amount of weight. “He’s just remarkably disciplined. He is not a big eater or drinker and certainly not a smoker. He just isn’t a pudding man.” Like, I’ll buy that – he’s disciplined about fitness and diet, etc. But most people don’t suddenly drop that kind of weight if they’ve always been “disciplined.” Something has changed and maybe it’s just something as simple as “no snacking, no more cocktails,” but it seems bizarrely squirrelly to refuse to just say that.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.