Prince Edward and Sophie ‘set the perfect example’ for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of how to be a successful ‘reserve’, royal expert claims

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are ‘setting the perfect example’ for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, a royal expert has claimed.

Prince Edward and his wife Sophie were given their new titles in March 2023 to celebrate the duke’s 59th birthday and have stepped up their royal duties in the wake of King Charles’ cancer treatment.

At the weekend, Prince Edward officially became colonel of the Scots Guards following the Duke of Kent’s last engagement in the role.

Last week the royal couple attended a ceremony at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale on behalf of the king.

Talking to Okay!royal expert Jennie Bond said Edward and Sophie set the ‘perfect example’ for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of how to succeed in the royal family as a ‘reserve’.

Describing how the Duke and Duchess have been ‘quietly devoted’ to their causes over the years, the former BBC royal correspondent said: ‘As the King encourages them to take a more prominent role, Edward and Sophie show they are very high. for the task.

‘They also serve as excellent role models for their great nephews and nieces – showing that you can be a “reserve” or even a “reserve to the reserve” and make a real success of working as a valued member of the Royal Family. ‘

Furthermore, the royal expert said the Prince and Princess of Wales – who have taken a step back from public life while the mother-of-three undergoes cancer treatment – are ‘acutely aware’ of the problems royal ‘spare parts’ may face.

As a result, Jennie says the couple ‘will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel as special, loved and appreciated as George.’

Prince Harry famously called his January 2023 memoir “Spare” and released a series of bombshells about the royal family.

Talking to The telegraph shortly after the book was published, Prince Harry revealed that he had expressed his concerns about the future of other ‘spare parts’ in the family.

The Duke of Sussex said he hopes his efforts to highlight his own pain will pay dividends for the next generation.

He explained: ”Although William and I have spoken about it once or twice and he has made it very clear to me that his children are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility.

Pictured: Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis hold hands as they arrive for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation in May 2023

Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children after attending a service at Sandringham in December 2022

‘Out of these three children, at least one will end up like me, the extra one. And it hurts, it worries me.’

After abandoning his training as a Royal Marine and dabbling in show business – notably his involvement in ITV’s It’s Knock Out game with members of his family – Prince Edward hadn’t always been the most popular of older royals.

But in recent years he and wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have become increasingly popular and hard-working members of The Firm.

And in addition, he was considered ‘a really tough guy’ by a former Balmoral gamekeeper, prompting the Telegraph to suggest that he should be known more for ‘having an inner steel’.

Prince Edward takes part in a badminton match during an engagement at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham

The Duke of Edinburgh (pictured left) holds the heavy punching bag for 11-year-old Lacey Douglas (pictured right) with national youth champion Amy Nolan at Right Stuff Amateur Boxing Club

The gamekeeper, nicknamed ‘Massacre Masson’ by Prince Philip because of how many deer he killed annually during the cull, declared Edward his favorite of the royal brothers, saying: ‘Edward was easily the toughest of all the princes. Nothing was too much for him.’

Now the oldest male, the King and Prince William, have had to cut back on duties, and it is Edward who is the oldest man to carry out the most engagements.

He’s been busy these past few weeks: recently turned 60. In a rare television interview to mark the milestone in an interview with Alan Titchmarsh, he revealed he felt a ‘weight of expectation’ when he took over the title of Duke of Edinburgh from his father last year.

“It was a huge privilege but also a lot of anticipation,” said Edward as he marks his 60th birthday.

“I mean, there’s an awful lot of legacy that came with that title and everything that my dad had done, especially when you don’t inherit it — this is a choice.” As he got used to his new title, Edward said, “It’s just the weirdest, weirdest feeling.”