Royal Profile - Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor seated on his throne, as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry

     Edward was born between 1002 and 1005 as the eldest son of King Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, though his path to throne was hardly smooth sailing.

     In his youth, England was targeted by Danish raiders, who eventually turned their sights on conquest under the leadership of King Sweyn. As Æthelred's son, Edward was a target of the invaders, though he and his family escaped to Normandy - the homeland of his mother, Queen Emma - when Sweyn seized the throne in 1013. Fortunately for the House of Wessex, Sweyn died the following year, and the English nobility invited Æthelred to be restored to the throne. Edward was sent to London as a pledge of good faith, along with the King's ambassadors to negotiate the terms of his return.

     When King Æthelred died in April 1016, he was succeed by Edmund Ironside (son from his previous marriage and therefore, Edward's half-brother), and the struggles with the Danes continued - this time under Sweyn's son Cnut, who saw England as his lost inheritance. Edmund died in November of that year, and Cnut emerged as King. Edward and younger brother Alfred fled to Normandy again, surviving the near-mass wipe-out of other members of the royal family - including his half brother from Æthelred's first wife, which made Edward the leading Anglo-Saxon claimant to the throne.

     Meanwhile, his mother Queen Emma married Cnut, and had two more children with him. Edward stayed in exile in Normandy for about 25 years, and was supported by his Norman-French relatives, who made attempts to invade England on his behalf.

     In 1035, Cnut died, and was succeeded by Harold Harefoot, his son from his first marriage. Queen Emma resented this move, for she wanted Harthacnut, her son by Cnut, to be King of England. It is thought that she invited Edward and Alfred over to England to counter the growing popularity of Harold and help Harthacnut assume the throne. In 1036, the brother came over separately, and Alfred was captured by Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who had Alfred blinded to death. Edward fought a successful skirmish in Southampton, but retreated back to Normandy.

     King Harold died in 1040, and was succeeded by Harthacnut, who in 1041, invited his half-brother Edward to return to England, where he recognized Edward as his heir.

     The following year, Edward succeeded Harthacnut as King, and was crowned at Winchester Cathedral on April 3, 1043. He ascended the throne with the support of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, the most powerful of the English nobles -  the same Godwin who was supposedly responsible for the death of Edward's brother in 1036. This contributed to Edward's personal hatred for Godwin, and his reign was to be dominated by a power struggle between him and Godwin and his family.

     As part of his uneasy relationship with Godwin, Edward married his daughter Edith, and gave titles, offices, and lands to Godwin's other children and relatives. To counter the power that the family was amassing under Godwin, the childless King Edward made an offer in 1051 of the English throne to his cousin William, Duke of Normandy. This was used as means to bring down the over-mighty earl a peg or two, for Edward figured that the expectations of the succession (which could be changed at any time by Edward) would keep Godwin in line. 

     This tension increased as Edward increasingly took Norman's into his inner circle, and reached a flashpoint in September 1051, when one of his Norman supporters, Eustace II, Count of Boulonge and his men caused a civil disturbance in Dover. Edward demanded that Godwin - as Earl of Kent - punish the town's burgesses, but Godwin refused. This nearly resulted in an armed conflict and a civil war as Edward seized his chance to take on Godwin. But the armies of both sides did not want a fight, fearing that disunity would result in another Danish invasion, and Godwin - with his support gone - fled from England. But in the following year, Godwin returned with an army and demanded to be restored to his earldoms, and this time, the political elite sided with him, again fearing disunity and civil war. For them, the idea of a united England was more powerful and compelling than any individual - even than the King. As a result, Edward was forced banish many of his French supporters and to restore Godwin and his family to their positions in England, though the King restructured the earldoms in an effort to prevent the Godwin's from becoming dominant.

     This new political settlement lasted for more than a decade, and when Godwin himself died in 1053, he was succeeded to the Earldom of Wessex by his eldest son Harold, whilst another son named Tostig was made Earl of Northumbria by King Edward. Indeed, this was a period of relative calm for Edward, who seemed to have made his peace with Godwin's family - or at the least, tolerated their presence and power in his kingdom. 

     Elsewhere in Britain, Edward may have aided Malcolm Canmore in seizing the Scottish throne from Macbeth and his stepson Lulach as Malcolm III, whilst in Wales, he made some of the prince's there pay homage to him and his earls. 

     At the end of 1065, King Edward's new (though unfinished) abbey at Westminster was consecrated, though Edward himself was not in attendance due to ill health. Within days, it was clear that he was dying, and on his deathbed, Edward apparently had a change of heart and decided to entrust the Kingdom of England to Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, instead of Duke William of Normandy. Harold was the leading Anglo-Saxon earl, and perhaps the childless king had gotten over the troubles with Harold's family to the extent that he was comfortable in handing Harold the crown. 

     On January 5, 1066, Edward the Confessor died at the age of 62. On the following day, he was interred at the Abbey, and Harold Godwinson - who was alleged to have promised to support Duke William's claims to the throne - was elected and crowned as King of England. The disputed claim would later result in a crisis and the Norman Conquest later that year. 

     King Edward was canonized in 1161 by Pope Alexander III, and remains venerated in both the Catholic and Anglican churches for his supposed Christian piety and for living a saintly life - especially with regard to his childlessness, which his monkish admirer's claimed was due to a commitment to celibacy. He was not a martyr, so he became known as "the Confessor", and remained a prominent patron saint of England until he was replaced by St. George in the 14th Century.

A History of the Earldom of Wessex

The Earl and Countess of Wessex

     The title Earl of Wessex has only been created twice in British history, and its use for Prince Edward was a surprise when it was announced in 1999. So here's a bit of information on Wessex and its ancient title.

     Wessex (referring to the West Saxons) was one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the early Middle Ages (collectively known as the Heptarchy), and was located in the southwestern region of England - encompassing present-day areas such as Cornwall, Wiltshire, Somerset, Hampshire, Devon, Bristol, and Dorset.

     During the Danish invasions of England in the 800's, Wessex became the last English kingdom standing after the other ones had fallen under the control of the invading forces. Under Alfred the Great, the Kingdom of Wessex not only defended its independence, but also pushed back against the Danes, and asserted dominion over the parts of England not ruled over by them. This only included much of southern and western England (including London), but Alfred was already declaring himself to be King of the Anglo-Saxons, and over the 9th and 10th centuries, his sons and grandsons would continue his program of pushing out the Danes and expanding Wessex's boundaries to the north and east. In 927, the northern kingdom of Northumbria was conquered by Wessex, and this resulted in the unification of England under the Wessex crown. The Kingdom of England was formally created under Æthelstan, a grandson of Alfred the Great.

     Nearly a century later, the Danes were back and conquered England under King Cnut. To help with the governance of the country, he established earldoms in the former kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, Northumbria, and Wessex and placed trusted Englishmen to control of them. Wessex was administered personally by Cnut before he handed control of it to Godwin, one of his most loyal lieutenants, who became Earl of Wessex in 1020 at the age of nineteen. In time, Godwin and later his son Harold became the most powerful noblemen in the kingdom. Their authority was second to only that of the King, and Godwin particularly clashed from time-to-time with Edward the Confessor, the saintly monarch who restored the Crown to English control. When Edward died in 1066, Harold became King of England, and Wessex was reunited with Crown. Later that year, William the Conqueror took over and in the course of the Norman Conquest, the great English earldoms were abolished, including Wessex, which ceased to be a political entity after 1071.

     The current creation of the Earldom of Wessex occurred on June 19, 1999 as part of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created for Prince Edward on the day of his wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones, which departed from the royal tradition of conferring a dukedom on the sons of a Sovereign. At the time, it was explained that Prince Edward would eventually succeed to his father's title, Duke of Edinburgh, but that in keeping with the tradition of receiving a title, he would be made Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. Edward was drawn to the Wessex title by watching Shakespeare in Love, a 1998 film in which Colin Firth played the character with the said title, whilst Severn is a reference to his wife's Welsh ancestry and is used as a courtesy title for their son, James Mountbatten-Windsor.


Photo Credit: Surrey County Council News via Flickr cc

50 Facts About Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

     Today, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex celebrates his 50th birthday. To commemorate it, here is a listing of 50 facts about one of the lesser-known, albeit integral, members of the Royal family.

1. Prince Edward was born on March 10, 1964 at Buckingham Palace.

2. He is the third son and fourth and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

3. His full name is Edward Antony Richard Louis.

4. As the son of a Sovereign, he was styled at birth as His Royal Highness The Prince Edward.

5. He was baptized at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 2, 1964 by Robin Woods, Dean of Windsor.

6. Edward's godparents were: Prince Richard of Gloucester (Queen's first cousin), Katherine, Duchess of Kent (wife of the Queen's first cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent), Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark (paternal aunt), Louis, Prince of Hesse and by Rhine (first cousin), and Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (maternal uncle via marriage).

7. His first public appearance was following the 1964 Trooping the Colour, when the Queen brought him (aged only two months) out onto the Buckingham Palace balcony in her arms before the crowds below.

8. He was educated by governesses at Buckingham Palace up to the age of seven.

9. The Prince attended Gibbs School in Kensington, and then Heatherdown Preparatory School near Ascot for his primary education.

10. For secondary education, Edward followed in the footsteps of his father and brothers by attending Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, where he was made Head Boy in his last term and obtained a C-grade and two D-grades at A-level in History, English Literature, and Economic and Political Studies.

11. While at Gordonstourn, the Prince played rugby squash, as well as other sports, took gliding lessons, and was a keen skier and sailor. He also began his participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

12. Edward took a gap year, during which he was a house tutor and junior master for two terms in 1982 at the Collegiate School in Wanganui, New Zealand. 

13. At Wanganui, he taught English and History and supervised activities, such as Drama and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions.

14. Back in Britain, Edward attended Jesus College, Cambridge, where he studied History and graduated in 1986 with lower second-class honors. He later obtained a Master of Arts from Cambridge in 1991.

15. At Cambridge, he participated in a number of theatrical productions and was active in sports, including learning to play Real/Royal Tennis.

16. He was also a University cadet with the Royal Marines, but left the military service within a year of his 1986 graduation from Cambridge.

17. Edward earned a Gold Award from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for several achievements, including planning and executing a 60-mile four-day group trek from Blair Atholl to Tomintoul through the Cairngorms.

18. The Prince made a foray into the entrainment industry by first working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theater Company - participating in productions such as The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, Cats, and Aspects of Love.

19. In 1987, Edward produced his first television program - a charity event known as the The Grand Knockout Tournament (It's a Royal Knockout!) in which teams lead by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Prince Edward himself competed in a series of games to raise money for charities represented by the team leaders. The Queen and her courtiers were adamantly opposed to it, but Edward went ahead, and the event raised over £1 million.

20. Under the name Edward Windsor, the Prince organized Ardent Productions, which specialized in the production of dramas and documentaries - most notably Edward on Edward, a documentary about his great-uncle, Edward VIII (the Duke of Windsor).

21. In 2002, the Prince stepped down from his active role at Ardent to support the Queen's Golden Jubilee and become a full-time working member of the Royal family.

22. Edward met his future wife, Sophie Rhys-Jones, in 1994 when he was starting Ardent Productions and she was running her own public relations firm.

23. During their courtship, Edward attempted to avoid press attention by using the alias "Richard" in telephone conversations with Sophie, and when picking her up from her London apartment, he would have his protection officer ring the doorbell and escort her to the car.

24. After six years, Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones announced their engagement on January 6, 1999.

25. The Prince proposed to Rhys-Jones with a Asprey & Garrard engagement ring - estimated to be worth £105,000 - which contained a two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped gemstones set in 18-carat white gold.

26. The wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones took place on June 19, 1999 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which was attended by over 500 guests and watched by over 200 million people around the world.

27. The couple broke the tradition of Royal marriages - especially those involving the child of a Sovereign - by requesting that it not be a state occasion, which meant some ceremonial aspects and the military were not involved and political figures such as Prime Minister Tony Blair were not invited.

28. On the morning of the wedding, the Queen conferred to Prince Edward the titles Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. The Wessex title had not been used in nearly a thousand years, but Edward was drawn to it by watching Shakespeare in Love, a 1998 film in which Colin Firth played the character with the said title. The original Earldom of Wessex covered the southwestern counties of England. Severn is a reference to his wife's Welsh ancestry.

29.The Earl and Countess of Wessex have two children: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (born on November 8, 2003) and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (born on December 17, 2007).

30. At the time of his own birth, Prince Edward was third in line to the Commonwealth thrones. He is now eighth in line to succeed his mother.

31. The Earl and Countess of Wessex live with their children at Bagshot Park near Windsor.

32. The Prince's range of hobbies includes music, gardening, sailing and playing Real Tennis.

33. In 1986, he commissioned Cricket, a musical for his mother's 60th birthday from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, which was performed at Windsor Castle. It was the last original on which the two men collaborated.

34. The Prince served as a supporter (royal equivalent for "best man") at the weddings of both of his brothers, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew. In turn, they served as supporters at his own wedding.

35. Edward works in support of the Queen and in the interests of the many charities and organizations of which he is associated.

36. He is involved with 79 organizations and holds 8 military appointments.

37. As a veteran and admirer of stage, screen, and the arts, he is Patron of a number of organizations in these fields. These include the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, London Mozart Players, Windsor Festival, Haddo House Choral and Operatic Society, Northern Ballet, National Youth Theater of Great Britain, National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, and the Orpheus Center Trust.

38. The Earl is also involved with a number of Livery Companies (guilds), including the Worshipful Company of Fuellers, the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, Coopers of Glasgow, Coopers of London, and the Worshipful Company of Gardeners.

39. An avid sportsman, the Earl of Wessex is associated with several sporting organizations, including being President of the Sport and Recreation Alliance. He is also Vice Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, as well as Patron of the British Paralympic Association, BadmintonScotland, the Tennis and Rackets Association, and the International Real Tennis Professionals Association.

40. He opened the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

41. In the United Kingdom, Edward currently holds numerous honorary military titles and appointments, including Royal Colonel of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry and the London Regiment, Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force (RAF) Waddington.

42. In Canada, the Earl is Colonel-in-Chief of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, Prince Edward Island Regiment, and the Saskatchewan Dragoons. He is also Honorary Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

43. The Earl of Wessex makes visits to his military units and their families at their local bases or overseas wherever they are deployed.

44. This year, the Earl of Wessex is the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland - the British monarch's official representative to the General Assembly.

45. In February and March 2012, The Earl and Countess of Wessex participated in a major tour of the Caribbean members of the Commonwealth on behalf of the Queen for the Diamond Jubilee. Highlights included the Independence Day celebrations in Saint Lucia, a joint address to both houses of the Barbados Parliament, and a visit to sites affected by volcanic eruptions in Montserrat.

46. Since receiving his Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award in 1986, Edward has actively supported the work of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in the UK and its international component, and his role has been growing as his father has reduced his own commitments. Edward is Trustee of both the UK and the International awards.

47. Edward's work with the D of E awards includes promoting and representing it at home and aboard. He has visited the award's branches in other countries (including the USA) and hands out the Gold Awards on behalf of his father.

48. As Earl of Wessex, Edward is the first son of a Sovereign since George I of Great Britain not to be a duke.

49. He is expected to become Duke of Edinburgh following the death of his father and the accession of his brother, Prince Charles, as King.

50. At present, Edward's full title and style is His Royal Highness The Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex, Viscount Severn, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty.


Photo Credit: Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc

Royal Docket for the Week of February 2nd

Monday, February 3rd

HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

     The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be in King's Lynn, Norfolk. As Honorary Air Commodore, the Queen will pay a visit to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Marham, whilst the Duke will attend a meeting of the Rotary Club of King's Lynn as an Honorary Member and Paul Harris Fellow.

Tuesday, February 4

     Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is set to visit the county of Somerset, which has been hard-hit by heavy rains and flooding.

HRH The Prince of Wales

     He will host a reception in the village of Stoke St Gregory for residents and emergency services personnel who have been victims of the flood. Attending the reception will be representatives from The Prince’s Countryside Fund, a consortium of businesses of which the Prince of Wales is Patron, with a commitment to help support and sustain the British countryside and its centuries-old agriculture. Among other things, it has a reserve fund for use during emergencies such as this. The Prince will then travel by boat to Muchleney, where he will visit the Thorney Moor Farm to witness the damage caused by the floods and understand how residents are coping.

     Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will host an 80th anniversary lunch at Clarence House for the Brooke - an animal welfare organization of which she is President.

HRH The Countess of Wessex

     Sophie, Countess of Wessex will attend the Ski Championships in Meribel, France as Patron of the Combined Winter Sports Association.

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal, along with her husband Vice Admial Sir Timothy Laurence, will be in Russia with over the next two weeks in her role has a member of the International Olympic Committe (IOC) and as President of the British Olympic Association before and during the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. She will also be carrying out engagements on behalf of the UK Government and other organizations to which she is connected.

HRH The Princess Royal

     As Chancellor of the University of London, the Princess Royal will visit the International College of Economics and Finance at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. She will also attend Day One of the 126th IOC Session in Sochi.

Wednesday, February 5

     Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is to attend a reception at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as President of the British Asian Trust, an organization created by British Asian business leaders which provides funds to charities that improve the lives of impoverished people in Southeast Asia and disadvantaged communities in the United Kingdom. It is one of the 20 Prince's Charities.

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal will attend Day Two of the 126th IOC Session in Sochi, Russia.

Thursday, February 6

     Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is to attend a reception at the Savoy Hotel in London for Invest in Futures, an initiative of the Prince's Trust which aims to unite the financial services industry with the goal of helping disadvantaged young people to become economically active. Prince Charles is President of the Prince's Trust.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

     Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will attend a Waitangi Day reception at New Zealand House in London. The day celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is considered one of New Zealand's founding documents. It made the country a part of the British Empire, guaranteed the native Māori the rights to their land, and gave them the rights of British subjects. The Duchess will one day be Queen of New Zealand.

HRH The Earl of Wessex

     Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will attend a dinner given by the Head of the Australian Defence Staff, the Service Advisers, and Defence Counsellors in the Fusiliers' Mess at the Tower of London.

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal will attend Day Three of the 126th IOC Session in Sochi, Russia.

     Princess Alexandra is set to visit Bailrigg, Lancaster to attend a dinner that celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Lancaster University.

Friday, February 7

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal will be in Sochi, Russia to attend the Opening Ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in the Fisht Olympic Stadium.

HRH Princess Alexandra at left

     Princess Alexandra is set to be in the county of Lancashire to visit Ferrari's Country House Hotel in Preston.

Saturday, February 8

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal will be attending the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia in her role as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and as President of the British Olympic Association.




Photo Credit: Titanic Belfast via Flickr cc, Dan Marsh via Wikimedia Commons cc, Holger Motzkau via Wikimedia Commons cc, Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc, José Cruz/Agência Brasil via Wikimedia Commons cc, Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc, Surrey County Council News via Flickr cc

The Royal Docket for January 27, 2014

HRH The Earl of Wessex

     Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will be in Murren, Switzerland from today to January 29th to attend the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Kandahar Ski Club. The Club - whose headquarters is located in Murren - was founded by British skiers, and the Earl of Wessex is an honorary member whilst the Duke of Kent is the club's Patron.

HRH The Duke of Gloucester

     Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in his role as Patron of the Kensington Society, will attend a dinner to mark its 60th anniversary at the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea's Parlour at Kensington Town Hall in London. The Society aims to protect, preserve, and improve the quality of life in the Kensington section of London through good planning, preservation, and an understanding of the area's history.



Photo Credit: Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc, Charlie Dave via Flickr cc

35 Facts About the Countess of Wessex

HRH The Countess of Wessex

     Today (or yesterday depending on your location), Sophie, Countess of Wessex celebrates her 49th birthday. To commemorate it, I have compiled a list of 35 facts about Sophie as the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (the Queen's youngest child), the mother of two children, and a working member of the royal family in her own right. 


1. HRH The Countess of Wessex was born as Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones on January 20, 1965 at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, England, United Kingdom.

2. Her parents are Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary O’Sullivan.

3. She is the younger of two children.

4. She has an older brother named David.

5. Her father was a tire salesman and her mother was secretary.

6. Rhys-Jones was raised in Brenchley, Kent.

7. Her formal education began at Dulwich College Preparatory School in Cranbrook, then progressed along to Kent College School for Girls in Pembury.

8. For post-secondary education, attended and graduated from West Kent College in Tonbridge.

9. Upon graduation, Rhys-Jones embarked on a career in public relations.

10. She was employed by Capital Radio (in the press and promotions department) and by the PR firms Quentin Bell Organization and MacLaurin Communications & Media.

11. She also worked as a ski representative in Switzerland and worked for a year in Australia.

12. In 1996, Rhys-Jones launched her own public relations company, RJH Public Relations, which she operated with her business partner Murray Harkin.

13. Sophie Rhys-Jones and Prince Edward met each other at a charity event in 1993.

14. During the courtship, the Queen allowed her to stay overnight in the royal apartments in Buckingham Palace whenever she wished.

15. Prince Edward and Sophie were engaged in January 1999.

16. Rhys-Jones was given an engagement ring featuring a two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped gemstones set in 18-karat white gold.

17. On June 19, 1999, Sophie Rhys-Jones married Prince Edward in a ceremony at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, which was televised around the world. Edward was given the titles Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn.

18. Upon her marriage, Sophie’s title and style became: Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex.

19. The Severn title is a reference to Sophie’s Welsh ancestry.

20. The Earl and Countess of Wessex have two children: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (2003) and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (2007).

21. Since her marriage, Sophie has been carrying out royal duties on behalf of the Queen, in support of her husband, and in her own right in the UK and throughout the world. She has ended her business ventures.

22. In 2001, Sophie made her first royal overseas visit when she visited the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.

23. She is Patron of various charities and organizations, particularly those with a focus on helping and improving opportunities for children and young people with sensory, learning and communications disabilities.

24. Her patronages include Dyslexia Action, Mencap, the National Autistic Society, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and Vision 2020.

25. Her daughter Louise was born with exotropia, a condition where the eyes are deviated outward and appear to be crossed.

26. The Countess – along with Prince Edward – has represented the Queen at many foreign royal events, including the weddings of the Prince of Monaco, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and the Crown Prince of Denmark.

27. In February-March 2012, they visited the Caribbean Commonwealth countries of Saint Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, and Antigua and Barbuda as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. They also visited Gibraltar on the Queen’s behalf over that summer.

28. In the United Kingdom, she holds the following honorary military appointments: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Army Music, Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion The Rifles, Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force, Wittering, and Sponsor of HMS Daring. 

29. She was made a Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (DStJ) in 2005, as well as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 2010.

30. In Canada, she is also the Colonel-in-Chief of the South Alberta Light Horse and Colonel-in-Chief of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.

31. In 2013, she became the first Global Ambassador of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

32. The Countess is an 11th cousin once removed of Prince Edward, through their common ancestors Nicholas St. John of Lydiard Tregoze and his wife, Elizabeth (a relative of Elizabeth Blount, a mistress of Henry VIII of England and Ireland).

33. The Earl and Countess have an official residence at Buckingham Palace and a personal residence at Bagshot Park in Surrey.

34. As of 2014, her full title and style is: Her Royal Highness The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

35. Upon the death of the Queen and Prince Philip, the title of Duke of Edinburgh - currently held by Philip - is expected to be granted to Prince Edward. As a result, Sophie will become the Duchess of Edinburgh – the title held by the Queen after her marriage and before her accession.


Photo Credit: Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons cc

Royal Docket for January 21, 2014

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

     Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will be in London hosting a concert and reception to mark the 125th Anniversary of I CAN, St. James's Palace. I CAN is a charity that helps children overcome communication issues, and to develop critical speech and language skills.

HRH The Earl of Wessex

     Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will be carrying out two engagements in London in his role as Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. At Kingston Town Hall, he will attend a reception for the Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade - a national organization for Jewish youth. The Earl will also pay a visit to Livity - an agency that develops the talents of young people in the area of creating content, communities, and social campaigns for businesses, government, and other entities.

HRH The Princess Royal

     Princess Anne, Princess Royal will very busy as she travels to the Isle of Man for four engagements. At Newtown, she will open the Ballavartyn Equestrian Center; she will then visit the Isle of Man Prison in Jurby to observe the vocational and educational training programs offered to inmates; and will visit the islands' Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in St. Johns. As Patron of the Cathedral Church of Saint German in Peel Development Appeal, she will visit St. German's Cathedral.

     To finalize the day, the Princess Royal will attend a dinner at the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa in Aberdeen, Scotland as Patron of the Vine Trust - an organization committed to providing essential services such as healthcare to people living in the world's poorest communities.

HRH The Duke of Kent

     Prince Edward, Duke of Kent will be in Surrey to visit Pilgrim Harps, a 34 year old local harp manufacturer. At Redhill, he will visit Cubic Transportation Systems Limited - an American-based company that provides automated fare collection equipment to mass transit authorities. In Lingfield, the Duke will pay a visit to the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy, which provides assistance and guidance to those with epilepsy and their familes so that such people can develop their full potential. This may be a coincidence, but the visit here is a bit significant because the Duke's (and for that matter the Queen's) uncle, Prince John, suffered from epilepsy and died in 1919 - sixteen years before the birth of the Duke - at the age of thirteen as result of it.




Photo Credit: José Cruz/Agência Brasil via Wikimedia Commons cc, Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc, Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc