Prince Edward celebrates his 61st birthday today as the former “Prince Brat” is now seen as one of the most valuable members of the royal family.
“It’s A Royal Knockout” Was Critically Butchered
However, this was not always the case. The Duke of Edinburgh infamously hosted a reality TV show in 1987 called “It’s a Royal Knockout.” It’s memorable, but not in a flattering way.
Royal Family members would dress up in period costumes. They participated in a celebrity medieval tournament in a theme park, and the show quickly became a PR disaster.
Edward, Princess Anne, Sarah Ferguson, and Prince Andrew participated in this drivel, and the show bombed spectacularly.+
In addition to its royal participants, some of the celebrities on the show included the likes of Meat Loaf, Sheena Easton, Christopher Reeves, and John Travolta.
Even with these big names involved, the show tanked miserably and made everyone who took part in it look ridiculous.
The royals led celebrities dressed in “comical” fashion as vegetables through a nauseating and endless series of obstacle races as they were knocked down and soaked.
Princess Anne was the winner, but she had an unforgettable look on her face that said,
“Someone get me out of here.”
Fortunately, other royals, such as the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana, elected not to participate.
The Queen Mother was furious about the whole debacle, and the Daily Mail revealed that she told her grandchildren,
“I spent years building the reputation of the monarchy with the King, only to have them destroy it in one evening.”
After all, The Queen Mother couldn’t help herself but be blunt. The Queen was also humiliated. Edward was nicknamed “Prince Brat” by the Daily Mail’s most popular columnist at the time, Lynda Lee-Potter, for his rude behavior.
Prince Edward Violated Prince William’s Privacy
The resulting press conference made the situation worse when Edward stormed out after reporters openly criticized the show.
Edward had asked the reporters if they enjoyed themselves watching the show, and the crowd became so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Edward fumed and responded to the glaring silence with,
“Well, thanks for sounding so bloody enthusiastic. What have you been doing in here all night?”
Lee-Potter called the Prince “pompous” and a “spiteful and angry child.” In her article, she said,
“It’s Time Prince Brat Learned Real Manners.”
Years later, Edward’s production company, Ardent Productions, violated a media privacy agreement and filmed Prince William while he was attending the University of St. Andrews.
The then-rector of the University, Andrew Neil, commented,
“The intrusion by the production company owned by the prince’s uncle beggared belief. Even after he had been told they did not leave immediately.”
He continued,
“But for it to be broken by a company owned by his own uncle, well, you just couldn’t make that up.”
It took several years for Edward to repair his damaged reputation. A documentary last year celebrated Prince Edward’s 60th birthday.
The host of the show, Tessa Dunlop, claimed that “He has finally laid to rest the ghosts of “It’s a Royal Knockout,” and praised the Duke, saying,
“He’s almost on track to becoming somewhat of a national treasure.”
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