Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964), is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King Charles III. Edward was born third in the line of succession to the British throne and is 16th as of 2026. Born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his mother, Edward studied at Heatherdown School and completed his A-Levels at Gordonstoun before spending part of his gap year teaching at Whanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand. He then went on to read history at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After a brief stint in the Royal Marines, he worked as a theatre production assistant at the Really Useful Theatre Company before assisting in television production. He later formed his own company, Ardent Productions. Edward stepped down from the company in 2002 to begin full-time duties as a working member of the royal family and undertook engagements on behalf of his mother. He holds patronage with over 70 charities and organisations, including the National Youth Theatre, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, and the British Paralympic Association. His charity work focuses on the arts, athletics, and the development of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which centres on fitness, wellbeing and community service. Edward was given the title of Earl of Wessex prior to marrying Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. They have two children: Louise and James. Edward's mother conferred on him the additional title of Earl of Forfar in 2019. On Edward's 59th birthday in 2023, his brother Charles III granted him the title Duke of Edinburgh as a life peerage, a dukedom previously held by their father, who died in 2021, then briefly by Charles.