Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Career

On leaving university, Prince Edward joined the Royal Marines to train as an officer. But Marines proved to be too demanding for the Prince, and he resigned his commission in January 1987. This led to strong public criticism of the Prince for being "too weak".

Related Topics:
Royal Marines - January - 1987

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After leaving the Marines, Prince Edward became more involved in theatre, an activity he had enjoyed extensively at school and university. In the late 1980s, he worked for two theatrical production companies, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company. During his time at Lloyd Webber's company he worked on such plays as Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express and Cats.

Related Topics:
1980s - Andrew Lloyd Webber - Really Useful Theatre Company - Phantom of the Opera - Starlight Express - Cats

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Prince Edward's first foray into the world of television production was the widely-ridiculed It's a Royal Knockout television programme in June 1987, in which teams sponsored by himself and other members of the Royal family competed for charity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1993, Prince Edward formed the Ardent Television production company, under the name Edward Windsor. Ardent was heavily involved in the production of documentaries and dramas, particularly on the royal families of Europe. With exclusive access to the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, Prince Edward had plenty of material for his work. However, he was accused in the media of using his royal connections for personal and business gain, particularly given the financial problems of Ardent since its founding (it reported losses in all years of existence except one). The most embarrassing moment came when it was reported that a television crew from Ardent was found to be filming the Prince's nephew, HRH Prince William of Wales, during his stay at university in St Andrews in breach of an agreement between the royals and the media.

Related Topics:
1993 - Windsor Castle - Prince William of Wales - St Andrews

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2002, the Prince announced he would step down as director of production and joint managing director of Ardent to concentrate on his public duties, and to support the Queen during her Golden Jubilee year.

Related Topics:
2002 - Golden Jubilee

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~