All language subtitles for prince.edward.will.he.change.the.royals.2023.1080p.web.h264-cbfm

JAYE GRIFFITHS: May 2023.

Britain welcomes
a new King and Queen.

Huge cheer going up.
Wow.

And there we are. That's why.

Joining them on the Palace balcony

was Charles's youngest brother,
Edward, and his wife, Sophie.

I think Edward finds himself
in a position

that he probably didn't expect
to be in.

Go back a decade,
and he was nowhere to be seen.

There was no room
for Edward and Sophie in those days.

But it's clear
from that balcony scene

that he really is
part of the core team now.

Prince Edward
is 14th in line to the throne,

and never expected
to be a front-line royal.

The youngest
of the Queen's children,

he had much less pressure
put on him.

But things didn't always go smoothly
for the baby of the family.

The newspapers smelt blood.

Edward couldn't hack it
in the Marines.

I mean, what a great story.

His controversial career choices...

It's A Royal Knockout.

Certainly, in the pantheon
of great royal mess-ups,

this is absolutely up there.

..and self-inflicted gaffes...

Well, thanks for sounding
so bloody enthusiastic (!)

..landed him in trouble.

Edward is emerging as one
of the great bleaters of our times.

But over the last two decades,
there has been a transformation,

and he has carved out one of
the most successful royal careers.

He's made mistakes
when he was younger,

but he's actually learned
from those mistakes,

which is not true of all royals.

And after Prince Philip died,

King Charles awarded Edward
his father's dukedom.

It is seen as a fitting reward
for all the years of service.

And while other members
of the family

have stepped away
from being working royals...

Have you spoken to Prince Andrew?

..Edward and his wife Sophie
have been the ones to step up.

Very hard-working, very loyal,
very willing to support the Crown.

Prince Edward will be central
to this new royal era.

Suddenly, he's almost like
the great hope

for the next stage
of the royal family's evolution.

So, just how
has he transformed himself

from petulant prince
to dependable duke?

I think, in the future,
he will be Charles's right-hand man.

Mr Reliable.

On the 10th March 2023,

Prince Edward received
a very special birthday present.

His brother, King Charles,

had made him
the new Duke of Edinburgh.

A very special
and slightly overwhelming day

for now my wife and Duchess.

It certainly wasn't Edward's destiny
to be Duke of Edinburgh.

It's a weighty title,
it's an important and historic title

and, of course, most people
associate the Duke of Edinburgh

with the late Prince Philip.

Edward hasn't had the prominence
of his siblings

or, indeed, William and Harry

because of where he is
in the line of succession.

On Prince Philip's death in 2021,

his titles passed to his eldest son,
Charles.

But Edward revealed
in a BBC interview

before Charles became King

that it was Philip's wish
for him to inherit his dukedom.

It was a sort of pipe dream
of my father's,

so, er...

And, of course, you know,
it will depend on whether or not

the Prince of Wales, when he becomes
King, whether he'll do that.

The title was created for Philip.
It was very special.

It was something that he treasured
and he wanted to give to Edward,

not to his other sons.

Charles's decision
was undoubtedly in recognition

of the closeness
between father and son.

I don't think any royal commentator
expected Charles

to go against the wishes
of his father.

I think also, it was a way for
the royal family to say, you know,

he's going to be important
in the way that his father was.

He would have done it, I'm sure,
wanting to reward his brother

for all of his years of duty and
service and loyalty to the Crown.

The honour also reflected
the remarkable rise

of Edward and his wife Sophie

and their growing importance
as working royals.

It must have been really difficult

for Edward to give up his dreams,
his ambitions,

to become a full-time working royal,

but I do think
it was the making of him.

Go back to, say,
the Queen's Diamond Jubilee,

2012, we all remember that.

Who was up on the balcony?

There was no room
for Edward and Sophie in those days.

And yet here we are now,

and suddenly,
he's almost like the great hope

for the next stage
of the royal family's evolution.

But Edward and Sophie
haven't always found it easy

being part of The Firm.

The idea that Meghan
is the first person to have problems

marrying into that family
is obviously nonsense.

When it was revealed that Edward

was first going out
with Sophie Rhys-Jones,

he felt intolerable pressure

and intrusion
into their relationship

and into his privacy.

He's made mistakes, he's become
the butt of numerous jokes,

but he's come out of it.

And with the death of the Queen
and Prince Philip,

and the departure in recent years
of so many senior royals,

it is Prince Edward who has
taken on ever more royal duties.

Charles always wanted
to slim down the monarchy,

but it's sort of slimmed itself down
without him having to do anything.

Everything changed, really,

because of the Harry decision
to go overseas

and what's happened
with the scandal over Prince Andrew.

It's now imperative

that we give this very senior,
very important title

to the prince who remains,

the prince who isn't
causing a problem,

the prince who we can rely on.

Edward and Sophie's
strong partnership

make them an asset to the new king.

It's essential for Charles
to have senior working royals

like Edward and Sophie out there,

front and centre, working hard,

showing why the royal family
is still relevant.

And in the absence
of Harry and Meghan,

well, Edward and Sophie
are the new Harry and Meghan.

As a new chapter in the royal family
begins,

it will be Prince Edward,
the late Queen's youngest child,

who will be thrust
into the limelight.

When he was born,
he was third in line to the throne.

It was never very likely that he was
ever gonna have this major role.

But all that has changed
in the past couple of years.

He's pretty hard working

and has just gotten on
with the job quietly,

without making too much fuss.

But that wasn't always the case.

There were many disasters
in his younger days

as he grew from a pampered prince
to an unpopular royal.

Royal princes don't leave
the military, they do their duty.

But Edward didn't.

If there is one cringe moment

in history of
the modern British royal family...

Thanks.

..it's It's A Royal Knockout.

JAYE GRIFFITHS:
On the 10th March 1964,

a small but expectant crowd gather
at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

About an hour ago,
we got the first news

that the Queen's fourth baby
might be born tonight.

At 8.20pm, the news that they had
been waiting for arrived.

Prince Edward, her youngest child,
had been born.

The Queen always referred to Andrew
and Edward as her second family.

When the Queen came to the throne,
of course,

she was a young woman
with two young children.

She didn't have much time,
quite frankly,

for motherhood
with either Charles or Anne.

Edward and Andrew had
a completely different childhood.

They were spoilt in a way
that Charles and Anne simply weren't

because they had their parents' time
and attention.

The Queen gave birth to Edward
when she was 37,

and she decided that this time,

she was going to do things
differently.

She knew that this was gonna be
her last child,

and she wanted to enjoy
his childhood and those early years

as much as possible.

He probably did get
special treatment,

but the baby of the bunch
always does, don't they?

And when it came to advice
about parenting,

it's claimed that the Queen
got some of her information

from an unusual source.

The Queen was also someone who was
an avid reader of women's magazines

and took huge interest in new ideas.

She wanted Prince Philip there
at the birth,

and he, as the modern man
that he was, was happy to agree.

When Philip decided to be in
at the birth of Edward,

that was revolutionary.

I mean, in previous generations,
that had never happened.

As well as attending the birth,

and in contrast to how he was
with his two older children,

Philip would become
a very hands-on parent.

Prince Edward was
his father Philip's favourite child

simply because
Edward arrived at the point

at which his father decided
to be much more involved

with his children.

Philip would read bedtime stories,
some of which he made up himself.

Philip would help decorate
the nursery where Edward slept

with model ships and aeroplanes.

He made sure his schedule
was structured

so that he could be there
to help with tea time, bath time.

Apparently, Nanny Mabel
always slightly feared

when Prince Philip
would come up to the nursery

because he would kind of
rough and tumble with the kids,

and he'd be wrestling
with Prince Andrew,

and Prince Edward
would be jumping on top of him,

and then Nanny Mabel would struggle
to get the kids down to sleep.

For most of us,
a father being involved

with the day-to-day care
of a baby and a toddler,

there's nothing strange about that,

but in the royal family,
that was quite something.

The Queen and Prince Philip's
close relationship with Edward

was captured in this remarkable
fly-on-the-wall documentary.

First broadcast in 1969,

it provides an intriguing glimpse
of the young Prince Edward.

The 1969 documentary Royal Family

really was a peek
behind Palace doors.

And at one stage,
there's a memorable moment

when he's up close
with his big brother Charles,

who's labouring over the cello.

SCRATCHY NOTES

One of the strings breaks,
and it catches Edward,

and you can see his lips
are trembling.

STRING CLUNKS

Oh!

All right?

Did it hit you?
Yes.

Why did you do that for?
Sorry, sorry.

And here you had this boy
doing his utmost not to lose it,

not to cry
in front of the television,

and it's a magnificent example of
grace under pressure, if you like.

Some of the nicest stuff

is with the Queen
and a very young Edward

just out sweet shopping,
which is a nice, normal scene,

with a film crew in tow.

What are you going to have?

An ice cream.
This is what he really would like.

They always go
straight for the ice creams.

Would you like to go and get one?

The take-out from it,
for a lot of people,

was how normal and well adjusted
Edward had been,

and I think that's a lot to with
the fact that Philip and the Queen

spent much more time with him
as he was growing up.

The documentary also showed
the close bond

between Edward and his father.

The Royal Family documentary
was a ratings hit,

and was seen
by more than 30 million people.

However,
some felt it had been a mistake

to grant such unprecedented access.

I believe it was
a strategic mistake.

It was the beginning of the end
of any kind of magic.

The big debate over it
is the mystique.

Do you think there should be
any mystery about the royal family?

And once you sort of open the door,
can you ever really shut it?

Once you let daylight into
that magic, it is a slippery slope.

Concerns that the documentary

may have diminished respect
for the monarchy

meant it has not been rebroadcast
in its entirety for over 40 years.

Edward's next public performance
would be in 1972

when he started prep school.

Andrew wasn't a great success
at school,

but Edward actually was.

He was quite academically bright.

The Queen had had to leave
the education of Charles and Anne

in the hands of others,

but she was determined to be more
involved in Edward's schooling.

Heatherdown Prep School
was near Windsor,

so he could see his mother,
the Queen, more often.

The Queen suddenly found herself
going regularly to school meetings,

to meet his teachers,
collecting him at the weekends,

driving him there and back.

I mean, highly unusual for a monarch
to have done anything like that.

Edward's prep school started
his lifelong love of the theatre.

It was whilst he was at Heatherdown

that he apparently got
the acting bug.

He appeared in a school production
of The Wind In The Willows,

and he played Mole,
and he got very warmly applause,

applause led by the Queen.

He seemed to have gone down a storm,

and so he was seen as a bit
of a rising star in the family.

After prep school, Edward followed
his older brothers to Gordonstoun,

his father's former public school.

And, controversially,

Edward was accepted into one
of the country's top universities.

He got into university,

having scraped through
with three or four A-levels.

He didn't have
what would be the normal threshold

to get into Cambridge.

It's fair to say
that the royals don't have to go

through the clearing process
like the rest of us.

They definitely get
special treatment.

Hoorah, hoorah!

At Cambridge, Edward threw himself
into student life.

He was active
in the university drama society

and organised the student RAG week.

Anyway,
you're in good company today.

You have probably the most
professional crawlers in the world

standing in front of you.

He wasn't massively academic.

Where he really excelled
was on the stage.

I think Edward
was a competent actor,

rather than someone
who was gonna be marked out

as a potential Hollywood star.

And despite his love of the arts,

the career Edward decided on
after university

was to join the Royal Marines.

Edward, from the earliest,
from when he was...

you know, he was probably
sort of eight or ten,

he was absolutely adamant that
that would be his military career.

There was a real sort of sense
of that naval tradition

in the men
of the Mountbatten-Windsor family.

The royal family
is a military family

and, specifically, a naval family.

The Royal Marines, of course,

are the fighting soldiers
of the Royal Navy.

Edward was very athletic
and very sporty,

so on paper, he was absolutely
perfect for the Marines.

The Royal Marines had sponsored
Edward's tuition at Cambridge

on condition that he serve
five years with the regiment.

But much to everyone's surprise,
Edward quit after just four months.

His decision to quit
was very, very controversial.

Royal princes don't leave
the military, they do their duty.

But Edward didn't.

His training officers had no doubt

he had the physical strength
and resource

to complete what is said to be

the hardest military training
in the world.

The truth is, he wasn't enjoying it.

Not cos he couldn't do it,
but because he couldn't enjoy the...

everything else
that went with being

with the Royal Marines in Devon.

What was required of him to be

absolutely devote-yourself-all-in
to become a Marine,

was just, for him,
in antipathy to being a prince.

Edward's decision
to leave the Marines

prompted a storm of criticism.

The newspapers smelt blood.

Edward couldn't hack it
in the Marines.

I mean, what a great story.

And it wasn't just the national
tabloids that were outraged.

He was ridiculed by
his former Marine colleagues

who just called him soft

and thought he, you know...
he wasn't up to it.

And he had a bit of a tough time
within the royal family, too.

It was the Queen who, apparently,

viewed it
in a very, very dismal light.

She said she thought it
was a dereliction of duty.

Although
he had disappointed his family

with his decision
to leave the Marines,

Edward received support
from an unexpected quarter.

This was deeply personal
for Prince Philip,

because he was Captain General
of the Royal Marines.

It was well reported then
that Philip, in particular,

was furious with his son,

that he'd sort of let him down
and let the family down.

In fact, the opposite was true.

Edward's father found
a very public way

to show his support.

Just days after Edward had left,

father and son were pictured going
to church together at Sandringham.

The royal family
very rarely do something

where they're not aware of
its significance

or how it will be seen
by the public.

To have his father there,
supporting him,

was a really big step
on Philip's part,

and I think
all went into really cementing

this very, very close relationship
between father and son.

Philip was very supportive,
and he cleverly turned it round

by making it very clear to everyone

that he thought
it was a very brave decision.

It was quite a surprise, and
something of a reversal of roles,

for the Queen to be really quite
upset at Edward's decision to leave,

and Philip to be understanding.

If Edward's
dropping out from the Marines

was unprecedented
for a member of the royal family,

what he did next would break
even more royal conventions.

After Edward left the Marines,
I think,

because he was a bit of a lost soul,
he thought,

"I've got to do something
spectacular, something big."

I think Edward
was struggling a little bit

to find a purpose, to find a role.

Edward decided to produce
a television charity event

involving his family
and various celebrities.

It's A Royal Knockout in 1987

was Edward's sort of first
real foray into TV production.

Edward decided that he,
Prince Andrew,

the Duchess of York - Fergie -

and Princess Anne
would captain four teams

that would "compete"
against each other at Alton Towers,

all dressed up in Tudor regalia.

The idea was to have some fun,
some silly competitions,

based on It's A Knockout,

which was a big TV hit
in the '70s and '80s.

It's A Royal Knockout was watched by
18 million people in the UK

and made £1.5 million for charity.

But it was not the success
Edward hoped for.

If there is one cringe moment

in the history of
the modern British royal family,

it's It's A Royal Knockout.

Certainly, in the pantheon
of great royal mess-ups,

this is absolutely up there.

If you want to remove
the mystique of the royal family,

get them dressed up
in fake medieval costumes

and then have a big knock-about
competition outside,

in the pouring rain.

It just had "PR disaster"
written all over it.

But worse was to come in
the interview after the filming...

First of all, I have to apology if
I go to sleep in the middle of this.

..when Edward was met by
a less-than-enthusiastic press pack.

He'd invited the press
and the media to come along

because he thought we'd all write
wonderful, glowing pieces

about what
a brilliant idea this was.

But unfortunately,
when we got there,

we were barred
from actually seeing anything.

I know the captains
have enjoyed themselves...

..I only hope
that you've enjoyed yourselves.

Have you?

Yes, we have.

Well, thanks for sounding
so bloody enthusiastic (!)

What have you been doing
in here all day?

It's been cold.
You may well ask.

Have you been watching it?
Yes. Yeah.

Yeah?
What did you think of it?

LAUGHTER

Thanks (!)
I thought it was good.

Then the royal walkout.

He is reported to have said,
as he left Alton Towers,

"One of these days,

"you lot are going to have to
learn some manners."

Well, of course,
that forever became the story -

the petulant prince who throws
his toys out of the pram.

It did present
an extraordinary insight

into Edward's character
at that time,

and the pratfalls of being
a member of the royal family

and getting involved in
light entertainment.

It's A Royal Knockout provoked
a storm of negative publicity.

But things got even worse

when Edward started
his own TV production company.

Over the next decade,

he would continually be
in the papers

for all the wrong reasons.

Ardent Productions, in many ways,

was the peak of the embarrassing
things that Edward did.

It was just hopeless.

And while Edward's career lurched
from one PR disaster to another,

he was, at least, luckier in love.

Edward and Sophie were friends for
many years before they fell in love.

We manage to have a good laugh
about things most of the time.

And we happen to love each other,
which is the most important thing.

JAYE GRIFFITHS:
In June 1999, Prince Edward married

his long-term girlfriend
Sophie Rhys-Jones.

Among the thousands of people
lining the streets,

are visitors
from all over the world.

I think the world had an expectation

of what this wedding
was going to look like,

having seen Diana and Charles's
at St Paul's,

having seen Sarah and Andrew's.

It was at St George's Chapel
at Windsor Castle,

which we now know, also,
Harry and Meghan got married there,

Charles and Camilla
had the blessing there.

They did set a precedent.

You know, in a way, they are kind of
trailblazers for more modest events.

Edward and Sophie
might have had a reason

for wanting a different kind
of royal wedding.

They opted for
a much quieter wedding.

And I think that was partly
because they were already thinking,

"We want to have a life,
partly in the royal family,

"but also outside the royal family,

"so we're not gonna make this
a huge thing."

Edward and Sophie were friends
for many years

before they fell in love.

One of the things
that Edward was attracted to

was the normality of
Sophie Rhys-Jones, which, you know,

she's not a European Princess,
she is not an aristo.

Sophie Rhys-Jones
was a middle-class professional,

who ran her own
successful PR company.

Dare I ask you,

what qualities you think
you both bring to this relationship?

We manage to have a good laugh
about things most of the time.

And we happen to love each other,
which is the most important thing.

Great sense of humour,
very important.

It's, very important, yes.

Edward was acutely aware that,

as a commoner -
for want of a better word -

there were real challenges
that Sophie faced.

We have to remember the 1990s

was a really rocky decade
for the royal family.

There was all sorts of stuff
going down - many divorces.

Don't forget he'd watched

Andrew's marriage with Sarah
ultimately crumble,

seen what had happened to
Charles's marriage with Diana.

There was insatiable interest
in his love life.

He felt intolerable pressure

and intrusion
into their relationship.

In December 1993,
newspaper editors across the country

received an extraordinary missive
from the Prince.

Edward wrote a very heartfelt letter
to the press,

actually in quite restrained terms,

just asking that his private life,

and Sophie's private life,
should be treated as private.

"I'm taking this unusual step
of writing to you directly

"in the hope of stopping
your reporters and photographers

"from destroying
that part of my life

"that I'm entitled
to regard as private

"and, more importantly,
Sophie's life."

This plea for privacy was later
echoed by his nephew, Prince Harry,

when he sent a similar letter
to newspaper editors

over coverage of his relationship
with Meghan Markle.

But where that approach,
I think, differs from, say,

Harry's approach
to protecting Meghan,

is that... Edward was conciliatory.

Edward, by contrast with Harry,
was much more restrained,

but there were moments
when he complained bitterly

about intrusion into his life.

Edward and Sophie
dated for several years

and had to contend with
relentless media pressure

to announce their engagement.

Edward sort of said
he didn't want to hurry into it.

He wanted to make sure
that Sophie knew

this was the life
that she wanted to live,

because it is a life
that involves sacrifice.

When he was pressed once
by the journalists

to say when he was gonna
pop the question to Sophie,

he just snapped at them.

I'm not saying anything at all,
I'm gonna keep quiet,

and if everybody
stops asking me the question,

then who knows what might happen?

And how does Sophie Rhys-Jones...

how did she manage in this
goldfish bowl that you talk about?

Did she find it very difficult?
Well, I can't speak for her.

So, I think he's irascible,
he snaps a bit -

just like his father -
but he doesn't hold a grudge.

I don't think...
He's not gonna make it, you know,

something that continues forever,

the way
Harry just can't let go of it.

When Edward did announce
his engagement to Sophie in 1999,

it did little
to stop press intrusion.

Sophie's found herself on the wrong
side of the tabloids more than once,

but I think,
probably the most humiliating

was just weeks before their wedding.

There was
a topless picture of Sophie

which had been taken, privately,

by friends at Capital Radio
years before,

and someone gave that photo
to a newspaper,

which printed it on the front page.

On this occasion, Edward wasn't
going to sort of sit back.

He took action
and made an official complaint

to the Press Complaints Commission,
which was upheld.

The Sun apologised
and also paid a significant donation

to Sophie's charities.

As well as intrusion
into their private lives,

Edward and Sophie would continually
attract negative headlines

as they try to combine
their royal duties

with independent careers.

There are parallels between
Sophie and Edward,

and Harry and Meghan.

I mean, Sophie and Edward
were the forerunners

of trying to balance
their royal careers

with actual moneymaking careers.

In 1993,
Edward set up a television company -

Ardent Productions.

He was the first senior royal
to have a career outside The Firm.

Ardent Productions, in many ways,
was the peak

of the embarrassing things
that Edward did.

It was just hopeless.

If the journalists sounded surprised
at Edward running a TV company,

it's probably because,
up to this point,

he had very little media experience.

After he left the Marines,

and the debacle of
It's A Royal Knockout,

he'd taken a job in theatre.

Edward got a job
at The Really Useful company -

Andrew Lloyd Webber's company -

and the joke was
that he was the teaboy.

So, for the photocall
at the first day of work,

of course,
he turned up with the teabags.

Today, reporters wanting to know

what the Prince would actually do

got the answer from his new boss
over the stage-door intercom.

'It's the lowest rung
on the learning process

'of working in theatre,

'and he will have
no status whatsoever.

'We will not be using him
in any PR capacity.'

He'd learned the rudiments,
if you like, of the business,

and he thought
he'd spotted a niche in the market.

He wanted to present
and make his own documentaries.

Edward's only other experience
was limited to this BBC documentary.

BALL CLATTERS

Like real tennis, many people
have heard of the award scheme

but don't really know
what it's about.

The Duke's Award was a programme

about his father's
Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

It also showcased Edward's awkward
interactions with the public.

A group of unemployed youngsters,

who could hardly afford
the award scheme record book,

are rehearsing a pantomime,
I believe, based on Cinderella.

What do we call you
when we sort of want to...

Do we say "Prince Edward" or...?
You do.

Right, OK.
Simple as that.

Now, Prince Edward,
you have a white badge,

I mean, what is that for?
That's the gold.

So you have actually done it,
have you? Yeah.

Right, that's nice. So what did you
think of it when you was doing it?

Well, it is Daddy's, isn't it?

Come on, get a grip.

Presenting on television is an art.

Edward clearly had
very little of that.

You can't be, on the one hand,
matey Edward,

and the Queen's son -

with all of the stars and honours
that go with it - on the other,

and I think that
was another problem that he had.

He was trying to straddle
two worlds.

And it wasn't just
Edward's presenting skills

which created problems.

He promised at one point

that he wouldn't use
his royal connections

to make any films or TV shows.

The problem for him was that people
were only commissioning -

or only wanted to commission -
programmes about the royal family.

In fact, he made a great series
of programmes

that were entirely based on

the royal family
and his connections.

And as this classic clip
from Saturday Live shows,

Edward was routinely mocked

for his attempts
to mix royalty with show business.

Hi! My name's Prince
"No But Seriously Though" Edward.

Right, OK.

Anyone here from Balmoral?

Yeah, OK!

Edward On Edward,
Ardent's documentary

about Edward's great-uncle,
the Duke of Windsor,

would expose the challenges

of trying to be both a royal
and a television producer.

I've often wondered about
the appalling shock

my great-uncle and namesake,
His Majesty King Edward VIII,

inflicted upon family
when he abdicated his throne

to marry Wallis Simpson
60 years ago.

One of Prince Edward's
most famous commissions

was a documentary called
Edward On Edward -

which was about the Queen's uncle,
Edward VIII.

And he met Hitler before the war,

and fair to say,
a very controversial figure.

Edward interviewed,
or tried to interview,

someone who was
the last living witness

to the meeting
between Edward VIII and Hitler.

But he never could quite
get round to the killer question,

and the killer question was,
well, what did Edward say to Hitler?

Well, fundamentally,
Prince Ed was not a journalist,

so he shouldn't be doing
that interview, really.

It's about his mother's uncle

who had a very controversial meeting
with Hitler.

As a member of the royal family,

there's lots of things
you might not want to talk about,

or you can't talk about,

or you can't do.

You're really, really restricted,
and you can't be impartial.

As his career in television
struggled to take off,

Edward faced increasing criticism
that he was using his royal status

to try and help his ailing business.

You would've thought
he would have got plenty of work

being the Queen's son

and would have been able to win
any number of contracts.

It didn't stand in his favour.

He wanted it to work,
he needed it to work,

and he became increasingly
frustrated when it didn't.

Honestly,
that was one of the great issues -

was he exploiting his royal family
connection to make money?

And on the surface,
it seemed almost certainly he was.

Prince Edward's new married status

means extra responsibility.

He's now using
his Windsor connections

to earn cash for his own company,

raising eyebrows
for breaking royal practice.

Edward is emerging as one of
the great bleaters of our times,

and he is inheriting
his father's mantle

for putting his foot in it.

Following this week's barrage
of press criticism,

he and the Countess of Wessex
will have to tread extra carefully

to show that they do know
where to draw the line

between private and royal business.

And it wasn't just Edward,

it was also his wife Sophie,
who had a PR company,

and there were questions being asked
about how she was using her name,

which raised a lot of unease
within the royal family.

In 2001, Edward and Sophie
were caught in two separate scandals

which effectively ended
their careers.

Sophie was duped by Mazher Mahmood,

the now discredited
undercover reporter

for the News of the World,
known as "The Fake Sheikh".

She was secretly recorded

making indiscreet remarks
about the royal family.

Sophie allegedly called
the Queen "an old dear"

and said Charles and Camilla were
waiting for the Queen Mother to die

before they married.

While these alleged marks were
embarrassing for the royal family,

it was Sophie's insinuation

that her royal ties
were good for business

that was the most damaging.

It's this comment

which has caused particular concern
in royal circles.

It's known Prince Charles
had previously warned

about Sophie's potential
conflict of interest.

You've got the spotlight
on the Wessexes

sort of for all the wrong reasons,

and this big question
being thrown up -

can you have working royals

who are representing
the Queen and Crown

and cashing in
on their own independent projects?

Just five months later,
Edward and his company Ardent

would be embroiled in
an even more embarrassing scandal.

One of the nails on the coffin
for Ardent, without a doubt,

was its decision
to stay up at St Andrews

and continue filming Prince William.

The media and the Palace
had hammered out this agreement,

that in exchange for access
from time to time,

that both princes would be allowed
to enjoy their school

and university life untroubled.

Somehow, Edward didn't get the memo.

The world's media were invited
to film this footage

of Charles and William
at the university.

After which, the press
and photographers left St Andrews.

The university said
it was Prince William

who spotted the film crew
on the campus.

They were ordered off and a
complaint lodged with Prince Edward,

but the camera team later returned
to film near the student residence.

And when Charles found out,
he absolutely hit the roof

because it went against that
agreement he had with the press.

Well, it's all incredibly funny,
isn't it?

I mean, here you have
the national tabloid press

staying well away from William,
honouring every agreement pledged,

only to have his privacy invaded
by Uncle Edward.

And it was an absolute humiliation.

And one, really,
from which Ardent never recovered.

Do you have anything to say, sir,
about your company? No.

I haven't. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much indeed.

No, we've said all that's due
been said,

and I don't think there is any need
to say any more. Thank you.

At the beginning of 2002,

it was announced
both Edward and Sophie

would be given up their careers
to become full-time working royals.

Edward made
the surprise announcement

at the start of
the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

The Queen effectively asked
Edward and Sophie

to give up their careers

and to become full-time
working royals.

And as an effective sweetener,

she gave them £250,000
in compensation, if you like.

I always knew in the back of my mind

that one day,
things would have to change.

Well, that day has come.

And it's not just for me,
but also for my wife.

I think you can draw parallels,
absolutely, with the Sussexes.

Harry also wanted to strike out,
do things a little bit differently,

and just as Edward found, you know,
these parameters are quite rigid.

They don't really budge,
and kick against them too hard,

and you get badly wounded
in the process.

And maybe his own experiences
caused him

to speak with some empathy
in this interview

with US news network CNN

about Prince Harry's decision
to leave the royal family.

It's a very sad. Erm...

And, listen... weird that
we've all been there before.

We've all had, you know,

excessive intrusion
and attention in our lives,

and we've all dealt with it
in certainly different ways.

And, listen,
we wish them the very best of luck.

It's a really hard decision.

Some observers believed
returning to the royal fold

has strengthened
Edward and Sophie's relationship.

Next year, Edward becomes
the first of the Queen's children

to celebrate
his silver wedding anniversary.

I think it's hugely significant
that Edward is the only one

of the Queen's children
not to divorce.

She ultimately had to give up
that independence

in order to make this marriage work,

in order to become
a successful working royal.

Queen Elizabeth regarded
that marriage was a marathon,

not a sprint.

And so the fact that Edward
and Sophie's marriage has endured,

and seemingly a happy marriage,

was a source of great happiness
to her.

It is the ultimate love story
because Edward has stood by her

through all of those decisions,
he made sure that he protected her.

While Edward and Sophie
might have been reluctant royals,

they have now fully embraced
their position within The Firm.

I think Charles recognises

that they've completely
transformed themselves

and are able to do an important job
for him and for the monarchy.

He's made mistakes
when he was younger,

but he's actually learned
from those mistakes,

which is not true of all the royals.

In 2003, not long after becoming
a full-time working royal,

Edward takes on
an even more important role,

when he becomes a proud parent.

On those big family occasions,

when we see Edward and Sophie
with James and Louise,

it's clear that they are a really
happy, successful family unit.

JAYE GRIFFITHS:
King Charles III's Coronation,

and joining him
on the Palace balcony -

the royal family,
the embodiment of this new era.

That was a balcony
of working royals.

It really thrust
a fierce beam of light,

if you like, on Edward and Sophie.

CROWD CHEERS

They're supporting the King.

They're joining those key players
centre stage.

Edward's been the understated royal
for so many years,

but it's clear
from the balcony scene

that he really is
part of the core team now.

Edward also secured a prime seat
at the Coronation Concert

and, as this BBC clip shows,
was happy to join in the laughter

when surprised
by an unexpected guest.

Thank you to our fantastic orchestra
and to all our wonderful performers.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Kermit the frog popped up.

It showed that Edward's got
a really good sense of humour.

He's very up for taking the mickey
out of himself.

And I think we sort of
associate Edward

with somebody who could take a joke,

having been the butt of one
so many times in the past.

In 2002, Edward and Sophie

became full-time members
of the royal family.

And a year later, the couple's
first child Louise was born.

Sophie had been rushed to hospital
for an emergency caesarean

while Edward was abroad
on royal business.

I've seen Sophie. She's doing well.

She's also had
a bit of a fraught time with it,

but she's recovering well,
I'm glad to say.

I think Edward, as much as possible,

has tried to be
a very modern dad.

Of course, he couldn't be there
for his daughter's birth,

but he absolutely was there
for his son's birth.

Edward and Sophie's
second child James was born

four years later in 2007.

And Edward seems
to have been determined

to be a very hands-on parent.

I think the fact that Edward

had such a loving, secure
and happy childhood,

because he had so much
of his parents' attention,

he has wanted to echo that.

He's been there at sports days,
at speech days,

for graduation,
for his daughter's A-levels.

He and Sophie took Louise
for her first day at St Andrews.

Edward's own grounded upbringing

prepared him for becoming
a more down-to-earth royal.

One of the remarks he once made was,

"I want to be treated for what I do
not for who I am."

Edward and Sophie
are relatable in a way

that most of the other royals
are not.

Simply because he makes it
very clear

that ordinary life appeals to him.

And Edward, the modern father,

made one decision for his children

which would have
the greatest bearing on their lives.

The most important thing Edward did
when his children was born

was not saddle them with HRH titles,

so neither his son nor his daughter
are His or Her Royal Highness.

Edward's role as a parent
is really interesting

because I think
he is trying to enable his children

to do what he was unable to do.

He took a leaf out of
his sister Anne's book

who famously gave Peter
and Zara Phillips, her two children,

no title at all.

It enabled them,
and it continues to enable them,

to have very straightforward,
ordinary lives.

And he wasn't afraid
to show his emotions

when family tragedy struck.

We remember how he spoke
after Prince Philip's death,

very warmly about his father.

It's been a bit of a shock.

However much one tries to prepare
oneself for something like this,

it's still a dreadful shock,

and we're still trying to
come to terms with that.

And it's very, very sad.

Clearly, it was a very dear
relationship with Edward.

Becoming the new Duke of Edinburgh
was part of that public expression.

I think there was no-one
who had more influence on Edward

than his father, Prince Philip.

He was an immense character,
a larger-than-life figure.

And it's clear, you know,
that they had a very close bond,

as he did, in different ways,
with all of his children.

But in 2017,
when Prince Philip retired,

it was Edward who took over
many of his father's charities,

including the most well known -
the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Back in 1956,
the Duke of Edinburgh established

the Duke of Edinburgh Award,

which was a way of
getting young people

out into nature, doing challenges.

It was his baby, he promoted it,

and it was really,
really successful.

It's been praised to the skies
for helping young people.

Edward went on, in 1986,

to complete
his Duke of Edinburgh scheme

and came away with a gold badge.

And this was a joy
for Prince Philip.

He was absolutely delighted by it.

Edward and Philip
had a marvellously close

and a deeply affectionate,
loving relationship.

He was immensely proud of him.

And while Philip
was undoubtedly proud

of his youngest son's achievement,

it didn't stop him being a target

of Prince Philip's
famous sense of humour.

He's got a gold award. But for that,
he would've been a dropout.

Yeah, probably.

Edward was asked about
the Duke of Edinburgh scheme,

why it was so important to him,
and he sort of said,

"Well, a lot of people just think
it's in my DNA."

Edward's passion
for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards

was clear when he addressed
gold badge winners

at this year's
Buckingham Palace Garden Party.

Life will continue to throw
challenges at you.

It'll continue to throw
opportunities at you.

I think because
you have done the award,

you will have the confidence

to be able to take
that unexpected journey.

I think he really just wants
to connect with young people,

give them... you know,
give them a bit of encouragement,

give them a bit of a morale booster.

Now I think there are
Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes

in something like 144 countries
around the world,

which is an incredible legacy
in itself.

And Edward wants to build on that.

It was a source of huge pride

to his father, Prince Philip,

that Prince Edward
had worked so tirelessly and so hard

to promote this charity and cause

for young people around the world.

I think he wants to honour
his father's memory as best he can,

and he carries responsibility
of ensuring

that his father's greatest gift
to this country continues.

Edward has certainly come a long way
since his early mistakes

and is making
a positive contribution

within Charles's modern monarchy.

Charles needs Edward and Sophie
to do the humdrum royal engagements.

Queen Elizabeth
had 600 royal patronages.

None of those have been reallocated.

There's no way that all of those
can be taken on by various members.

Edward will take them on.

Actually, look at him today,

and alongside
the Duchess of Edinburgh,

they are now in the press
for all the right reasons.

We're talking about their work,

we're talking about
the important spotlight

they're putting on young people,
on how they're supporting the King.

In March 2023, Charles awarded
Edward their father's dukedom.

And at Trooping the Colour,
the King's first official birthday,

it was his brother Prince Edward
who was out by his side.

They've barely put a step wrong

since they became
full-time working royals.

He's managed to create an aura
around him

that he's a safe part of hands,
he's reliable.

It's essential for Charles
to have senior working royals

like Edward and Sophie out there,
front and centre,

working hard, showing why
the royal family is still relevant.