A somber Prince Edward put on a brave face as he stepped out for a major royal duty this morning after being left disappointed by a “snub” from his brother King Charles III earlier this week.
Us Weekly can exclusively reveal that Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie, were hoping to be recognized for their recent stepping up for the king while he and his daughter-in-law Princess Kate Middleton undergo cancer treatment.
However, when the monarch, 75, announced on Tuesday, April 23, his official new royal appointments, nowhere on that special list was his youngest brother.
Charles appointed Kate, 42, as the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honor. She is the first Royal Companion named to this order.
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Prince William was also appointed as Great Master of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath. The role had been vacant since 2022 after Charles acceded to the throne.
Edward is likely to be taking comfort in recently having been made a member of the esteemed Order of the Thistle, which the palace called “the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland.”
However, the Companion of Honor is known for being a particularly special award granted to those who have made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time.
Past recipients include actress Maggie Smith, physicist Stephen Hawking, politician John Major and bishop Desmond Tutu.
A royal insider tells Us: “[They] knew Charles was getting ready to announce the new honors and he also told William and Kate in advance. [William and Kate] were really thankful, and it gave them a boost to be acknowledged, especially with such amazing accolades.”
“They have really stepped things up with their commitment to service over the past few years. Edward’s household were hoping he would get an honor,” the source added. “He’s dedicated to the arts, and that’s often overlooked with his theater work.”
According to the insider, “Sophie has been supportive of him during this transitional period and they are really hoping it leads to something bigger and shows they are up to the task.”
“It was disappointing, the snub, but they are still as loyal as ever,” the source continued. “Charles has done nothing but sing their praises lately and it’s brought them even closer as brothers.”
However, Edward was determined to honor his brother as he stepped out to lead the royal family in London in the early hours of Thursday, April 25, for a tribute to fallen members of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces on Anzac Day.
The Duke of Edinburgh attended the Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner at the New Zealand Memorial.
He looked somber and moved during the ceremony. Anzac Day is Australia and New Zealand’s equivalent of Memorial Day, which commemorates the 1915 Gallipoli landing of Australian and New Zealand troops in World War I and remembers all of the nations’ personnel who fought and died in conflict, many of whom did so alongside British forces.
Royal commentator Sarah Louise Robertson tells Us that Edward was never going to shirk his new responsibilities despite the snub.
“That King Charles has chosen his youngest brother to step up and lead the royals today in celebrating Anzac Day is a sign of how much Edward has grown comfortably into royal life and how much his brother admires and trusts him,” Robertson adds. “A couple of decades ago few would have ever thought the now Duke of Edinburgh capable of such an undertaking.”
She continues, “Until fatherhood came along he seemed to be floundering for a role, heaping humiliation on the royals when he made the disastrous TV show It’s a Royal Knockout. … But he has thrived in recent years.”
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“He recently replaced the 88-year-old Duke of Kent as Colonel of the Scots Guards; he was also awarded the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest royal honor, on his 60th birthday earlier this year,” Robertson says. “Going forward he will be a wise counsel to the future king, Prince William, and a real dependable asset in today’s new slimmed-down monarchy, someone who steps up to the plate and royal duty without fuss or fanfare.”
Royal commentator Afua Hagan also tells Us: “It’s a really busy day for Edward. He’s also going to be attending the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster later today.”
Hagan adds, “He’s gonna lay a wreath at the Cenotaph as well and he’s doing that on behalf of King Charles, and he’s doing this on behalf of Prince William who is adjusting his schedule to support Kate. So, Prince Edward is really coming into his own now and really living up to his title as Duke of Edinburgh and stepping up.”
Edward and Sophie have both demonstrated their ability to be the primary public faces and their new image in the spotlight has been welcomed by royal fans. On April 8, the couple stepped in for the king at a historic military event at Buckingham Palace.
