Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, celebrates his 62nd birthday today, but few may know that he was once offered an unlikely throne. In 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a political party in Estonia proposed that Edward become their king.
The Independent Royalist Party of Estonia, which had won eight seats in the country's first post-Soviet elections, sought to establish a monarchy akin to Sweden or Norway. The party's leader wrote to the British royals, describing Edward as 'perfect' and expressing admiration for him. Buckingham Palace, however, called it 'a charming idea but a rather unlikely one'.
Edward, the youngest brother of King Charles, is 15th in line to the British throne. He received the Duke of Edinburgh title from his brother three years ago, fulfilling a promise made by the late Queen on his wedding day in 1999. The title was a tribute to his work with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
The dukedom will not be inherited by Edward's son, James, Earl of Wessex, leaving the possibility that Prince Louis, son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, may one day receive it.
