Prince Edward celebrates his 60th birthday on March 10th. Shortly before his special day, his wife Duchess Sophie gave a speech dedicated to him.
After the alarming news about Princess Kate, 42, and King Charles, 75,’s health problems, the British royal family is about to have a nicer event: Prince Edward, 59, brother of the British King, will be 60 years old on March 10th. As the British “Daily Mail” reportshis wife Duchess Sophie, 59, has already praised him.
At an appointment in Leeds, West Yorkshire, she seized the opportunity to give her husband a place in her speech: “If you will allow me, I would like to ask you to indulge me for a few minutes, because I would like to take this opportunity to “To mark another big milestone and to pay a small tribute to my beloved husband, who celebrates his 60th birthday this Sunday,” the Duchess is said to have said in her speech, according to the Daily Mail. “I know that after the many years we have been married, which will be 25 in June, he will be horrified to see me here talking about him in public.”
This was also the case with Prince Edward’s father, Prince Philip (1921-2021). “You must know that my father-in-law never liked being complimented because he believed that the organizations he supported were important, not himself,” the Duchess continued. But she wanted to bring the man she was proud to call her husband closer to those present, explained the 59-year-old, who then highlighted Prince Edward’s charity work and patronage.
Duchess Sophie: Prince Edward is still her “best friend”
“Like an iceberg, what you see above the water or in public is only a small part of what goes on behind the scenes,” she emphasized. “Whatever he does, he always gives 150 percent of himself.” Afterwards, Duchess Sophie became particularly personal. Her husband, she says, has always been a guide to her “and has shown me the way over the years. He has given me a lot of help and advice, which I admit I haven’t always taken on board, and his knowledge and instincts that have been reflected in decades of service have developed are of inestimable value.”
The couple exchanged speeches and discussed issues relating to patronage, “and I think together we make a good team,” explained Prince Edward’s wife, who at the end paid her husband loving compliments: “He’s the best of all Fathers, the most loving of husbands and still my best friend. Here’s to you, my dear Edward, and I, along with all your family and so many friends and many others, wish you the happiest of birthdays!”
As pictures from the event show, Prince Edward also became emotional during his wife’s speech and even appeared to be moved to tears. He was also presented with a cake shaped like a tennis court with pictures of him and his wife. The couple met at a tennis tournament.
The Royal Family’s Instagram account said: “The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visited Headingley Stadium in Leeds to attend the Community Sport and Recreation Awards. During the visit they spoke to Leeds Rhinos players and girls taking part in rugby league practice before the awards ceremony. The Duke is President of the Sports and Recreation Alliance, a role he took over from his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, in 2009.”