Prince Edward has secured public support as the Royal Family's leading man, it has been claimed.
This comes as both King Charles, 75, and Prince William, 41, have temporarily curtailed their public duties.
The King revealed in February he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, following an operation to treat an enlarged prostate.
He has therefore paused all public-facing duties, but is still carrying out state duties from behind the scenes.
Prince Edward is one of the hardest-working royals
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Prince William is not facing his own health battle, however, his wife Princess Kate has also been diagnosed with cancer.
The Prince of Wales is consequently stepping back to prioritise caring for his wife and three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
The Duke of Edinburgh and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have both taken on many more royal duties in recent weeks to help with the current shortage of working royals.
A former Balmoral gamekeeper, who took Edward deer stalking in the hills, told The Telegraph: “He was a really tough bloke.”
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are lesser-known members of the Royal Family
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Prince Edward, 60, is set to become a more central figure in the UK following his brother and nephew stepping back from duties for a short period.
This is also the case because his elder brother, Prince Andrew, is no longer a working royal.
Edward is known for his cultural interests, including music, and is a royal patron of the UK’s largest music school, Chetham’s in Manchester.
The duke also takes his royal title seriously, with a keen interest in Scotland.
Prince Edward has never lost his cultural interests such as music
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Princess Anne completed the most engagements in the Royal Family for 2023PABefore being awarded his late father's title, Prince Edward held the title of Earl of Forfar for several years.
He is a regular visitor to Scotland, likewise is the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Despite Edward receiving more recognition lately as the Royal Family's leading man, Princess Anne, 73, is still the hardest-working member.
According to The Telegraph, the Princess Royal packed in between 12 and 14 engagements during a typical week in 2023. In contrast, the Prince and Princess of Wales would step out once or twice a week on average.