Why does Prince Edward garner less interest from the press and public compared to the other senior royals?

[refantazio]

Is it partly because he's QEII's youngest child, and also that he hasn't really done anything controversial during his life? I'm too young to remember his childhood and formative years - did he get more attention back then?

I thought there was a chance he might assume greater prominence as one of the most senior royals, particularly with the events of the last few years - his nephew the Duke of Sussex departing as a working royal, both his parents passing away, KC struggling with cancer, and AMW now completely ostracised from the family. That doesn't appear to have happened though.

I think the Windsor men and women generally seem to have about 5 minutes in their 20s when they’re relatively attractive and then it falls off a cliff.

Yes, him, Charlie and even Andrew shudder were really attractive for about a week in their twenties

Andrew was the most attractive of TLQ’s children- for years, up to and including his wedding to SF.

There was some quite entertaining scandal and gossip when he was a young man- and It’s a Royal Knockout certainly added to the gaity of the Nation for a little while (The Rest is Entertainment podcast about it was brilliant). But since then, he appears to have done nothing except live a nice quiet life on the public purse. I can’t imagine what he can possibly do to for charities “behind the scenes”- isn’t that exactly the opposite of what Royal sponsors are supposed to do? I have met Sophie a couple of times as part of a youth organization I’m involved with. She was excellent with the young people and gave the impression of having a lot of fun-the kids liked her.

He came to our church for its 800 year anniversary. Came into the vestry afterwards to meet the choir (we'd all had to provide biogs). My son was the organist and was going to Oxford that summer with an organ scholarship. When he was introduced to my son he made the joke about anyone being able to get into Oxford if they played the organ and could write their name in crayon.
Ironic since the Royals wouldn't even have needed to be able to play the organ...
I thought it was inappropriate and just the sort of comment his father would have made.
So yes - dull and a bit socially inept - (but to be fair most people there fawned over him and had a jolly super time 🤣)

I wonder in all honestly what people expect of him.

He was the youngest shiest child of an exceptionally dysfunctional family.

Doesn't appear to be out of the range of normal in any thing in particular i.e. PR nouse, intellegince, charm etc.

He has lived his entire life in luxury so is out of touch with the realites of normal life for most people in Britain. HIs income depends on his older brother. His other brother has committed appauling abusives of trusts at the very least.

He can't earn any money for himself in any useful way. Certainly not enough to support the lifestyle that he is accostomed too where all of his friends and acquaintences are.

Bit of a restricted existence really. I hope his kids don't grow up in the same guilded cage he was in.

why should i share it with you?
what difference would it make to you
i am sharing my opinion which i am entitled to have

God, you can see where he learned his ‘repartee’ from…

Yes, he’s the family weed of a spectacularly dysfunctional family.

Colleagues were impressed when he visited back in the day - said he was well briefed, interacted well with service users, made intelligent conversation etc.

Basically turned up on time, well prepped, did the job in a professional and friendly way. Gave service users and staff a feeling of being recognised and appreciated.

Safe pair of hands, doesn't court attention, not stupid.

But also Charles is the king. Anne is the only woman and has had significant success outside the RF as an Olympian plus her daughter is the same so that's a more obvious niche. Andrew is, well, you know.

But he's not a safe pair of hands is he? That implies he holds the Monarchy together. He just tinkers around the edges doing this and that and keeping out of trouble.
You do of course need a 120 room 60 acre estate to do that, anything else would be just insufferable for him and Sophie.

He seems ok to me. Doesn’t rock the boat. Doesn’t hog the limelight. His wife seems perfectly pleasant, from what I’ve observed. No one really knows though, do they?

I think it says more about the frankly ridiculous deference in which people hold the monarchy that people in need using a service and the staff who provide that service felt ‘recognised and appreciated’ by a fleeting visit from an ultra-privileged man who has never known a day’s want, has never worked, and has read a cheat sheet prepped by a researcher to be ‘briefed’.

I've heard their kids are nice, bright and hardworking. Apparently their daughter was the favorite of the former Queen. Probably saw some of herself in her.

He doesn't look all that healthy and well to me.

Otherwise I've no interest in any of them TBH. They are so dysfunctional and get far more attention than they deserve for merely doing their jobs. For which they are extremely well paid and rewarded I might add.

The days of royal adulation are receding now, and that's no harm either. Pity they'll still get the Sovereign Grant whether it's just one of them cutting ribbons or the lot of 'em. 😊

I don't think it does, no. He's a safe pair of hands in the role that he fills, ie turning up at things, saying uncontroversial stuff and keeping out of trouble in his large house. Whether or not he would be a safe pair of hands in a different role, couldn't say.

I understand, (I misunderstood what you meant!)

He does the job I suppose, that's about all I can say on him!
(p.s. is it a 'job' as such, don't really know, I would call it a 'pastime'!)

I think 'role' is our most useful description of his activities. It's neutral about both the effort and value involved, whilst acknowledging that there's a set of expectations and behaviours that role holders are meant to adhere to. Edward and Anne do this. Andrew is what it looks like when one of them fails at it!

I remember the shock for the Royal Family when he took the decision to leave the army and start working in the London theatre scene! Prince Philip was absolutely furious apparently. He worked for Andrew Lloyd Webber and was best friends with Michael Ball, they were known as Lucille and Babs (Ball and Windsor!) It was a very brave move for a Royal Family member at the time.

He does a lot of functions in Surrey and Berkshire, he and Sophie used to regularly turn up in the town where I used to live. At least once a year for a day of: Open Hospital wing, visit local school, visit local charity, etc. Splitting up and coming together to cover more events.
I think he seems to do more of that than Anne. And if you request a Royal you are most likely to get them.

They represent the wider community. Like the Town Mayor doing an official visit in a red robe and gold chain.

See this is what I don't understand. There have been several times they have made disparaging comments about people's jobs and intelligence. Coming from a family of limited intelligence dullards. How dare they? Have they no self awareness? How dare he say that to an accomplished young man! I bet no one answered him back. They are supposed to be trained from birth yet they can't even be polite to people, which is their only job.

It's obvious. They think they are being funny and cool. Hardly surprising given the fake laughter from people every time they try and crack a joke. Look at PPhillip and his inappropriate jokes, bordering on racism, there would be aides, the general public, recipients cackling and laughing at what he said.

They honestly think people find them witty.

I think you’d have to have strictly limited self-awareness, yes, and there’s definitely very limited intelligence. They’re like a collective argument against the value of private education. One has the impression William only pulled a few creditable A levels and a 2.1 out of the bag because now people were starting to ask questions about the IQ of the royal family, no one was going to tolerate him being ‘fake-accepted’ to Oxbrudge like his father and uncle, and Harry wasn’t going to do it.

FWIW I am not a royalist but I think the numbers of functions completed by each Royal is known. Princess Anne beats everone by a country mile.

I’m sure benefit is brought by these visits but - did anybody else read about Sophie’s motorcade knocking over and killing a grandmother who was innocently trying to cross the road. One of The Duchess of Sussex’s outriders (I think it was) ran into this woman and she died after the collision . (See below)

My question is: why can’t she take a cab?
why does she need an motorcade? I mean fill your boots but she could just get a bloody cab. I mean I get Charles and William having outriders but the rest of them - we are paying for that for no good reason. Police chiefs, PMs, very senior members of gov - have a motorcade but Sophie Wessex? Give me strength.

I know the late queen’s kids didn’t ask to be born but be useful, be ethical, be inexpensive and work hard for the people.
Also pay taxes & death duties & have a register of interests.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly4weze7g2o