Prince Edward Marks His Birthday in Italy With the Duchess of Edinburgh

Prince Edward was seen celebrating his 62nd birthday today while attending the Paralympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, accompanied by his wife, Sophie.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh appeared to be in high spirits as they spent time meeting and chatting with people at the Paralympic village.

Edward, who has been the Patron of the British Paralympic Association since 2003, kept warm in official event gear for the occasion.

Sophie, 61, was seen wearing a bold red Adidas puffer jacket as she chatted with one of the athletes.

The royal couple’s schedule for the day includes watching Great Britain face Italy in Wheelchair Curling, as well as attending several Para Cross-Country Skiing competitions.

Edward, the King’s youngest brother, and his wife appeared united and in good spirits despite growing attention surrounding an upcoming memoir.

West End star Ruthie Henshall is preparing to release a book titled The Showgirl and The Prince, which details her previously secret, on-and-off romance with Edward between 1988 and 1993.

The 59-year-old Olivier Award winner decided to write the memoir after discovering old love letters from the prince while clearing out her garage about five years ago.

“I found old diaries which I began writing in the 1980s and then found all my letters from Prince Edward, and I was struck by how precious this time in my life was,” she told The Telegraph.

The two first crossed paths when Edward, then 23, was working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Their relationship soon developed as they spent time together discussing rehearsals and theatre work.

Before long, Henshall was reportedly making discreet visits to Buckingham Palace and even taking tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has suggested that the memoir could leave the Palace feeling uneasy.

“If she is as open about their romance as she was on television, just think what it could contain,” Mr Fitzwilliams told The Mail.

He added that “there will be considerable concern that it will contain intimate insights into their time together.”

Henshall previously attracted significant attention during her 2020 appearance on the TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! when she spoke candidly to comedian Shane Richie about her past relationship with Edward.

“You performed in Buckingham Palace, you sang in the gardens, I sh**d in the bedrooms,” she told him.

Fitzwilliams suggested that the mix of “scandal and stardom” could end up being “nightmarish” for palace courtiers.

The memoir is set to be released during a particularly difficult time for the Royal Family, following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Richard Fitzwilliams commented that Edward “will now be drawn into the line of fire at a time when the monarchy faces its most serious crisis since the 1990s.”

He also stressed that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh “are two of only four members of the royal family under 70 and do invaluable work.”

Although Edward has traditionally been seen as one of the more private and reserved members of the royal family, the period ahead could prove challenging as the book’s July release approaches.

For now, it is unknown whether any members of the royal family have been given the opportunity to review the manuscript in advance.

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