Prince Edward appeared close to tears in an unseen photo that showed him moved by a 60th birthday speech from his wife Sophie. The black and white shot was posted by royal photographer Chris Jackson to mark his 62nd birthday today.
In the picture shared to Instagram by Chris – who is the official royal photographer for Getty Images – the Prince scrunches up his face as he looks downwards and holds his head in his hands. Captioning the image, taken in 2024, he wrote: “Happy Birthday to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh!
“Slightly unusual shot to post but this was the moment The Duke was listening to a very touching speech by his wife Sophie ahead of his 60th birthday, I just loved it as hopefully it caught the emotion of the speech and how much it meant to him in that moment. Two very important and hard working members of the Royal family.”
It appears the shot was taken when the couple were visiting Leeds just days ahead of his milestone birthday. In a speech during the Community Sport and Recreation Awards, the Duchess said that her husband is “the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and he is still my best friend”, before adding “I am so proud of the man he is”.
© Getty ImagesThe post has received more than 4,600 ‘likes’, as well as numerous comments from those likewise sharing their birthday wishes. The carousel created by Chris – who is married to Natasha Archer, a former senior aide to the Princess of Wales – also included multiple throwback images of the Duke and Duchess that he had taken, including the pair smiling from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Birthday duties
It seems the Prince is still conducting royal duties on his birthday. In an Instagram post shared by the royal family, he could be seen attending the Winter Paralympic Games in Italy with his wife.
According to the caption: “Their Royal Highnesses watched British athletes in action across multiple events and met members of the team competing in the Games. The Duke, as Patron of the British Paralympic Association, and The Duchess also spent time with staff and supporters who are helping to support Team GB.”
© Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesOn the Prince’s 60th birthday, he was appointed to the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s highest honour, by his older brother King Charles. It followed him being made the Duke of Edinburgh in 2023, a year after his mother Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022.
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