Today on March 10, the youngest child of the late Queen Elizabeth II celebrates his 61st birthday, and Express.co.uk looks back at one of his most candid moments involving Prince Edward with a piece of new technology. The Duke of Edinburgh attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2023, which is a staple in the royal calendar every year with the late Queen Elizabeth often visiting during her incredible 70-year reign.
At the event, Edward looked bemused as he put on a mask and a VR headset before mounting a model horse to give virtual horse riding a try. Prince Edward mounted the model horse before holding the reigns and simulating riding it, as he saw what it would actually look like through the high-tech headset.
He looked calm and collected showing off his riding skills, grabbing the reigns as though it was real. “Very good!”, he said, as he turned his head around, presumably to look at the simulated ‘surroundings’.
Today, Prince Edward is not expected to try on VR headsets but to skip a significant royal event as it coincides with his birthday – he will miss the annual Commonwealth Day Service.
The Duke’s wife, Duchess Sophie, will also miss the Westminster Abbey service as she is expected to travel to New York. Notably, King Charles will attend and be joined by key royals, including Prince William and Princess Kate.
Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will also accompany King Charles.
This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is “Together We Thrive”, celebrating the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”.
Prince Edward’s wife, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s, popularity has soared according to the latest YouGov poll. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are seen positively by most Britons, with a small majority (53 to 55%) having a good opinion of Prince Edward and Sophie.
Sophie’s popularity has risen the most compared to every other member of the Royal Family, jumping by three percent from December 2024. The surge in Duchess Sophie’s popularity has not been a surprise for royal fans, who over recent years have started to name the mum-of-two “Super Sophie”. Social media posts on the Royal Family’s official accounts of Sophie’s work are also often met with overwhelmingly positive responses, with many dubbing her their “favourite” royal.
In comparison, Princess Anne’s popularity only rose by one percent, while King Charles’s had decreased by three percent.
Sophie and Edward are now the fifth and sixth most popular royals, respectively, trailing behind Princess Kate, Prince William, Princess Anne and King Charles.
During a recent royal tour to Nepal, the couple sweetly spoke about their relationship, Prince Edward declared: “Because we’re best friends” when asked about their enduring relationship.
