As the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Prince Edward likely felt the weight of expectations while growing up. In fact, the late Queen Elizabeth reportedly rejected Prince Edward's life choices quite harshly, which must not have been easy to deal with.

In January 1987, Prince Edward decided to leave the Royal Marines, which he had joined only four months earlier. At the time, the Guardian highlighted the fact that Edward's “anxiety was not physical” regarding his career in the Marine Corps. The Guardian also reported that Prince Edward would probably pursue “a career behind the scenes in the performing arts, perhaps in television or theater.

The Royal Family is expected to be in the royal family for the next few months.

According to The Palace Papers, a book by royal expert Tina Brown, Queen Elizabeth was “chillingly uncomfortable” with her youngest son's decision and considered it a “dereliction of duty.

Prince Philip, on the other hand, seems to have supported Edward's decision to leave the Royal Marines all along. Brown writes that Edward “never thought he should have joined the Royal Marines in the first place.” Instead, Philip “wanted something worse when it came to Edward's love of art: to become an accountant.”

Colonel Ian Moore, Prince Edward's Marine commander, told The Guardian, “Let me make it clear that he did well in training. He was respected by his instructors and they all devoted a lot of time to him. He had the physical ability to do the training satisfactorily. Moore continued. 'There is disappointment here, but we understand and all of us in the corps feel the same way. He left us and we left him with a very warm fondness.”

Despite foregoing a career in the Royal Marines, Prince Edward has had a dexterous career and is a lifelong supporter of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which provides opportunities for young people; in March 2023, he inherited the title of Duke of Edinburgh, which his late father held for many years.