World Stamps

Born March 10: Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex

May 2, 2021, 8 PM
Prince Edward of the United Kingdom, known today as the Earl of Wessex, and his bride-to-be, Sophie Rhys-Jones, on a 26-penny stamp issued June 15, 1999. The couple married four days later.

By Michael Baadke

Prince Edward of the United Kingdom was born Edward Antony Richard Louis on March 10, 1964, at Buckingham Palace.

Known today as the Earl of Wessex, the prince is the third son and the fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Before entering Jesus College at Cambridge, the prince spent a year teaching English and History at the Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand. After his graduation from the university, the prince became involved in theatrical production and later established his own television production company.

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When he married Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19, 1999, Great Britain’s Royal Mail issued two stamps to mark the occasion: a 26-penny stamp (Scott 1887) and a 64p stamp (1888), each showing a different black and white portrait of the couple.

The prince became the Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn with his marriage, and his wife is the Countess of Wessex.

The earl is involved in many activities in support of the queen, including his work for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a leading youth achievement award.

The earl and the countess have two children: Lady Louise, born in 2003; and James, Viscount Severn, who was born in 2007.