Prince Edward once received odd request to become King

Prince Edward – the late Queen’s youngest child – was once offered the chance to become King – but not in the UK.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who is celebrating his 60th birthday today, has often been seen as an understated royal – but one that has become very popular amongst royal fans in recent years.

Back in the 1990s, Edward was reporedly bizarrely offered the chance to become monarch of a newly-formed country.

In 1994 – exactly 30 years ago – after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a whole host of new countries were created in the Eastern Europe.

Estonia was one of the countries that was created and, in the country’s first elections, a political party called the Independent Royalist Party of Estonia gained eight seats in the country’s parliament.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the leaders of the party contacted the Royal Family and asked if Edward would become their King.

A letter conducted reportedly stated that Edward would be “perfect” for the role and that the part admired him “enormously”. Buckingham Palace are said to have replied that it was “charming” idea but one that was “unlikely”.

Now 14th in the line of succession, Edward married Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, a few years later in June 1999. The pair share two children – 20-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor and a 16-year-old son James, the Earl of Wessex.