The tension of trying to balance royal protocol versus spontaneity was one that marked Princess Diana’s whole relationship with the Royal Family. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward discusses in her 1995 book how Prince Edward felt his mother, the Queen was the “symbol of the nation” which he viewed as to be “cherished and and protected”. And when Princess Diana “began redefining the Royal Family to reflect her own personality, it grated against his sense of propriety” writes Ms Seward in her book “Prince Edward: A Biography”.
Ms Seward said: “The faster Diana spun her glamorous web, the further Edward distanced himself from her”.
Members of the royal family, Edward once observed, “have got to try keep up some sort of appearance”.
Ms Seward claimed the Earl is a man of fierce loyalty, to his friends and to the institution he embodies.
As far as Prince Edward was concerned, Princess Diana, along with Sarah Ferguson “had let the side down”.
Edward was “wary of the Princess of Wales”, even though he had watched Diana’s romance with his brother Prince Charles develop.
Ms Seward explained in the biography that Edward “sensed the trouble she would cause” Charles and by “keeping the Princess at arm’s length”, the Earl was readying himself for the “problems that lay ahead”.
However, Ms Seward said: “The Princess of Wales is a powerful force in the royal family and will remain so.
In Channel 5’s documentary “Paxman on the Queen’s Children”, it was revealed the royal family was branded “heartless” after the tragic death of Diana in 1997.
Dickie Arbiter spoke to Jeremy Paxman and shared an extraordinary moment that happened at the time when he told Prince Edward what he should do.
According to Mr Arbiter, he was aware that Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were both in London, so he called the Earl of Wessex on the phone and asked him if he was going to work.
When Prince Edward gave an affirmative answer, Arbiter ordered him to “drop in and look at the books of condolence” for Princess Diana.
Prince Edward’s initial reaction was to ask Arbiter if anyone would see him, but the aide felt brassed off with the royal’s next statement.
“He said ‘no I’m not going to go, I’m going to go with my brother this afternoon,’” Arbiter continued.
Mr Arbiter told Prince Edward that coming in the afternoon would be too late and added he wanted the royal prince to be there in the morning and he should do as he was told.
Prince Charles’ brother looked at Arbiter and the latter insisted that he was serious.
Paxman raised his eyebrows and asked Arbiter to confirm he just ordered a royal to do something.
The former royal aide said he did that because he was fed up.
The documentary then showed footage of Prince Edward and Prince Andrew talking to a huge crowd who were mourning over Princess Diana’s death.
Mr Arbiter added that Prince Edward was the first senior member of the royal family to sign the book of condolence at the funeral.