- Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, is Queen Elizabeth's youngest son, and a public face of the British royal family, one who is portrayed on Netflix's hit series The Crown.
- Outside of his life as a royal, Edward has a history in the entertainment industry—and the world of sports, too.
- Edward is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones, Countess of Wessex, and the pair have two teenage children.
Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, has lived a fascinating and varied life, even by royal standards. Currently 11th in line for the throne, Edward has dipped his toes into the world of television production, been instrumental in international outreach for at-risk youth, and managed to keep a 20-year marriage going, too.
Edward graduated from Cambridge in 1986, and briefly spent some time training to be part of the Royal Marines, though he left after only a few months to pursue a career in the arts. After working in theater and television, Edward got married to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999 and was given the title Earl of Wessex.
In 2002, he and his wife became "full-time working royals," according to the official Royals website, before later having a son and a daughter. He's maintained a close connection to the rest of the royal family, and is currently doing many of the public-facing tasks that his father, who held the title of Duke of Edinburgh, previously did.
To better understand the life of Prince Edward, who, like the rest of his family, is portrayed on Netflix's drama series The Crown, we've compiled some of the key facts about Prince Edward and the Earl of Wessex's eventful 57 years.
His formal title, Earl of Wessex, is somewhat unusual.
According to Scotland's The Sunday Post, Edward was given the title Earl of Wessex on his wedding day in June 1999. One rumored reason he chose that title is believed by many fans to be that Colin Firth played Lord Wessex in Shakespeare in Love, which Prince Edward is a fan of.
Per Express, the expectation held by many was that Prince Edward would receive a dukedom, the highest rank he could've been bestowed by his mother. For example, Andrew, Edward's older brother, was named Duke of York. Also according to Express, the title Earl of Wessex has only been used twice before, both nearly 1000 years ago, as the region of Wessex no longer technically exists.
He has been married to his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones for over 20 years.
Prince Edward and his future wife Sophie Rhys-Jones's engagement became public knowledge in January 1999, and they were married that June in an intimate setting without many British politicians—although 200 million people reportedly watched it on television, according to Tatler.
The pair have two children together.
Edward and his wife have two kids, Lady Louise Windsor, who is the queen's youngest granddaughter, and James, Viscount Severn, currently her youngest grandson.
Louise, who was born in November 2003, is 13th in the line of royal succession, while James, who was born in December 2007, is 12th. Both of Edward's children have lakes named in honor of them in Canada, as tributes from the Manitoba Premier Gary Doer.
Edward is known for having been particularly close with his father, Prince Philip.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II have four children, but reporting around the royal family suggests that there was a particularly strong bond between the late prince and his youngest son.
Princess Edward is known for being especially close with his parents, Prince Philip, who passed on April 9, 2021 at age 99, and 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth II. According to Ingrid Seward, author of My Husband and I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage, Philip was physically present for Edward's birth, reportedly making him one of very few royal fathers to be there when their child was born.
Per Seward, Philip was also especially understanding of Edward's decision to leave the Royal Marines after a few months in training. With Philip gone, it is expected that Edward will become the new Duke of Edinburgh, following his father in the title.
He has a key hand in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Prince Philip and Prince Edward also shared a close bond through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a mantle that the latter has taken from the former and expanded. Prince Edward earned a Gold Award from the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards back in 1986, and since then has found an important role in its awarding and expansion. Known colloquially as the DofE, the program provides an opportunity for English teens and young adults to develop skills and achieve recognition that will aid in college and professional applications. The sections are Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition, and Residential.
Prince Edward has been a U.K. Trustee of the organization since 1987, and since 2015, he's served as Chairman of the Trustees of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, too. He's particularly emphasized reaching out to people outside of England, and to those who are disadvantaged and marginalized.
Per royal biographer Penny Junor, as quoted in Express: "Since giving up Ardent, his production company, in 2002, the award has become his main interest. He is just as passionate about it as his father, and, having done it himself–which his father never could because he was over age for the Award when it was launched–he is the best possible ambassador for the organisation.”
Edward has a vested interest in theatre and television, and once ran his own production company.
From a young age, Edward had a passion for the arts, and he spent some time in his formative years as part of the industry. First, a 23-year-old Edward worked as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company, while also planning his own productions, including what The Guardian called a "public-relations disaster" in the form of a live performance that was based on the gameshow It's a Knockout and featured other members of the royal family.
Eventually, he pivoted from theatre to television. In 1993, Edward launched Ardent Productions, a TV production company that would have a varied mix of releases. The Telegraph reported that investors poured roughly £2.2 million into Ardent.
"You're not going to see a rush of royal programmes from Ardent," Edward said, according to The Guardian. "That's no the premise at all."
Ultimately though, Ardent did lean on royal-related content such as a documentary about Edward VIII, and another on the rebuilding efforts after a fire at Windsor Castle. Though some of the films were met with positive reactions (The Guardian reported that President George Bush was an Ardent supporter), Edward's company routinely lost money on an annual basis, and it is believed he used as much as £300,000 of his own to get the company off the ground, per The Telegraph.
When Ardent was dissolved in 2009, The Telegraph reported it had just £40.27 of assets, taking into account the fee for liquidation.
Like other members of the royal family, he also seems to have an interest in horseback riding.
Though he isn't an equestrian on the level of his sister, Princess Anne—who competed in the 1976 Olympics—Prince Edward is a sporting enthusiast in his own right. He's been spotted going for rides around Windsor, including with his daughter earlier this year.
Edward is also known for attending Royal Ascot, the prestigious race, and wearing the same horse-themed tie each year. Beyond horseback riding, he also is a supporter of badminton and tennis, and serves as a patron for Paralympics GB.
In The Crown, he's played by young English actor Angus Imrie.
The cast of The Crown is filled with both rising and established U.K. actors, and for the role of Prince Edward, the series cast Angus Imrie for season 4.
Imrie, 26, has a background in theatre and screen acting, and is best known for playing the role of Jake in Fleabag. He also appeared in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, as well as the limited series The Spanish Princess.
Though he's pivoted to full-time life as a royal, Prince Edward's early life, particularly his many attempts at finding different career paths, makes him feel like one of the more relatable members of the royal family, and is part of what makes him a compelling character on The Crown.
For ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!
Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. He has written for Billboard, Complex, and i-D, among other outlets.
