You’ll Never Guess Which One of Queen Elizabeth’s Children Is Her Favorite
We all know parents aren’t supposed to play favorites with their kids, but even Queen Elizabeth is apparently guilty of taking an extra shine to one of her four children.
You might assume that as heir to the throne, Prince Charles ranks highest in his mom’s eyes. Or perhaps it’s Princess Anne, considering she’s the only girl amongst three boys. Fans of The Crown likely believe Elizabeth has the strongest bond with Prince Andrew, as shown in the series. But according to a new royal biography, it’s actually her youngest, Prince Edward, who the monarch favors the most.
In his latest book, The Queen (Buy on Amazon, $35), author Matthew Denison claims that both Elizabeth and her late husband Philip have always treated Edward as their favorite child. Although he colorfully describes the Earl of Wessex as “seemingly a bit wet and a tad irritating to the rest of us,” Denison points to a particular moment as proof that he is in fact their golden child.
“That became apparent in 1987 when Edward, aged 22, opted out of the Royal Marines when he was just a third of the way through his 12-month basic training course,” Denison writes in the book. “To the surprise of some, Prince Philip did not come down on his son like a ton of bricks. He accepted that the Marines ‘wasn’t right for Edward’ — and to this day Edward is grateful for that.”
He adds that just a week after Edward dropped out, he was photographed with his father walking to church at the Sandringham Estate, which was seen as a public display of support from both royal parents.
Elizabeth also reportedly has a soft spot for Edward’s wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. A recent spotlight on the couple for The Telegraph quoted one royal aide saying, “‘I think it’s because [Sophie] never makes any demands of [Elizabeth]. When the Queen appears, even for private family gatherings, she will quickly find a crowd gathered around her. The Countess always stands back and I think the Queen appreciates that.”
Of course, we’re sure Elizabeth has a ton of love for all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It’s just fun to get these glimpses into their family life now and then!
