The Queen shared a touching tribute to her youngest son Prince Edward to mark his 57th birthday on Wednesday.
A picture of the Earl of Wessex smiling during his visit to Vauxhall City Farm in October was posted on the royal family's Instagram account. The caption read: "Wishing The Earl of Wessex a very happy birthday today! To find out more about His Royal Highness's life and work, follow our link in bio."
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WATCH: Edward and Sophie visit Vauxhall City Farm
The royals usually celebrate their birthdays privately but last year Edward attended a public engagement in Essex with his wife Sophie.
During a visit to Tiptree Wilkin and Sons, Edward was presented with a delicious-looking cake, which he happily sliced into under the chimes of guests singing happy birthday.
The Earl is the Queen's youngest child and third son with husband Prince Philip. Prince Edward was born at Buckingham Palace in 1964, and was baptised two months later, on 2 May, in the private chapel at Windsor Castle.
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The royal family shared this image of Prince Edward on his birthday
The royal, who is father to Lady Louise Windsor, 17, and James, Viscount Severn, 13, is currently 12th in line to the throne. However, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's second child – whom they revealed to be a girl – is born this summer, Edward will move down one place in the line of succession, as will his children.
The Earl opened up about his experiences of lockdown with Lady Louise and James, revealing to Sky News in February: "The eldest one, Louise, she had her GCSEs interrupted last year, so we went through that whole pain of just having all of that suddenly taken away and so she sort of struggles a bit with the online learning because she'd much prefer to be with everyone…"
Edward and Sophie with their children
As for James, the Prince revealed that he has found being at home "fantastic".
"My younger one frankly thinks being at home and online is fantastic," the Earl of Wessex continued, before adding that "half term came at just the right time".
"I have to say half term came at just the right time because it was very interesting the frustrations that were beginning to show - and I reckon we weren't the only family to have experienced that."
Edward, Sophie and their children live at Bagshot Park in Surrey.
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