Life in the footlights

Prince Edward showed early signs of an interest in the media

Prince Edward, the third and youngest son of the Queen, made a surprise entrance into the world.

He arrived on 10 March 1964, a week before he was due. Because of his size, 5lb, 7oz at birth, the Royal Family had expected a girl. The Queen had considered only female names.

His brother, Andrew, took full advantage of his younger sibling's position as the baby of the family, bullying him mercilessly.

In her book, Royal Children, Ingrid Seward writes: "Andrew bullied everybody and would constantly swipe his younger brother. If he saw Edward going for a particular cake, Andrew would try and grab it first."

Of the young Edward, Ms Seward says: "He was a sweet child, whose delicate good looks and permanently flushed cheeks endeared him to the Palace staff."

Media babe

Prince Edward showed early signs of an interest in the media and listened to the radio avidly. He carried an old-fashioned Roberts set around with him and was especially happy when his favourite band, Abba, came on the radio.

He was often seen with his head buried in a book, reading everything from popular classics to detective thrillers. He also liked the French cartoon books, Asterix - in French.

But Prince Edward continued to live in the shadow of his elder brother, Andrew, during their early schooldays.

His delicate looks made him a favourite with the Palace staff

Taught by a governess at Buckingham Palace, it was Andrew who would throw the tantrums and remonstrate vociferously. Edward was more likely to show his anger by simply turning red in the face and falling silent.

But at Gordonstoun, the notoriously rigorous boys' public school in Scotland, he outshone Andrew, becoming head boy and excelling in sport and drama.

He passed nine O-Levels and three A-Levels at grade C and two Ds. Despite his results, and amid much controversy, the prince was given a place at Cambridge to read history.

Prince Edward's main interest at university was the theatre and he enthusiastically took part in many dramatic productions.

But a career in drama was problematic. Prince Edward had signed on with the Royal Marines who were sponsoring him through university on condition he served with them for five years afterwards.

He dutifully entered the Royal Marines after university but resigned his commission three years later. In total, he served less than four months.

Demeaned

Reports said the Duke of Edinburgh, Captain General of the Marines, was displeased. Prince Edward said later that his father had not put undue pressure on him to change his mind.

Still keen to pursue his love of acting and performing, he began presenting a television programme on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

In June 1987, he organised the infamous royal version of the popular television competition programme, It's a Knockout, with teams comprising the younger members of the royals dressed in medieval costume.

Despite raising around £1m for charity, the event was felt to have demeaned the Royal Family.

In 1993 the prince set up a TV company called Ardent Productions

Undeterred by bad publicity, in January 1988, Prince Edward went to work for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful theatre company, as a production assistant. He turned up for work as Edward Windsor and was not excluded from such tasks as making the tea.

During this time, his public duties were confined to turning out for the arts, sport and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

In 1990, Prince Edward and a number of colleagues decided to go it alone and set up their own theatre company, but it collapsed and Edward found himself unemployed.

His father suggested accountancy or management training, but in 1993 the prince went ahead and set up his own television company, called Ardent Productions.

One of its first programmes was about real tennis, a personal interest of Prince Edward's. Another venture called Annie's Bar, a soap opera based on the House of Commons, ran for only six episodes.

Young women

However the company became snared in controversy after it was accused in 2001 of trying to film Prince William at his university.

It was a breach of an understanding reached with all other sections of the news media and the footage had to be handed back to Buckingham Palace.

In 2002, the prince stepped down from involvement with the company which by that time had racked up huge debts.

But while Prince Edward's professional life was foundering, he was more successful in his personal affairs. He was linked to various young women, from model Romy Adlinton and television personality Ulrika Jonsson to chorus girl Ruthie Henshall, with whom he had a three-year relationship.

In his thirties, the prince's apparent reluctance to marry and settle down fuelled speculation on the nature of his sexuality. The rumours were vehemently quashed by several of his past girlfriends.

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones married in Windsor in 1999

The backdrop of divorce in the family and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was often thought to have delayed his decision to marry long-standing girlfriend, Sophie Rhys-Jones.

Prince Edward always maintained both publicly and to his family that he would marry only if and when it suited him.

And when finally that day arrived, the prince could not have seemed more comfortable and happier: "We are the very best of friends and that's essential and it also helps that we happen to love each other very much."

The royal couple have two children, Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born on 8 November 2003, and James Alexander Philip Theo, born on 17 December 2007.