Nicknames King Charles' Lesser Known Brother, Prince Edward, Has Been Given

Despite being the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II's four children, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, has spent six decades navigating the reality of being a working royal with no obvious lane. Born a full 16 years after the future king, he's certainly less memorable than his siblings, who also include his scandal-prone brother Andrew and arguably the most formidable royal in the business, Princess Anne. Nonetheless, Edward has collected a rather colorful assortment of nicknames that tell the story of his unconventional royal journey.

Starting all the way back in 1987, Edward was, perhaps pitilessly, dubbed the "Weeping Wimp of Windsor" by The New York Post (via The Independent) for quitting the Royal Marines just four months into his training. Other American magazines piled on with similar jabs after British tabloid The Sun reported that Edward cried for three hours and had a "furious row" with his father, Prince Philip (per The Los Angeles Times). The New York Daily News famously asked if he should be called the "British Lion or Prince Wimp" (per UPI). All of this contributed to a tabloid caricature that would cling to Prince Edward for years.

After leaving the Marines, Edward pivoted to the arts. Other nicknames emerged from whispered gossip in London's theater circles. Journalist Christopher Hitchens once claimed the prince was labeled "Dishcloth Doris" in certain crowds, according to Kitty Kelley in her book "The Royals," though writer Gore Vidal reportedly altered that to "Dockyard Doris," which was apparently a nod to a well-known London drag performer of the era.

Around the same time, with Prince Edward still transitioning from a prospective life in the Marines, his unlucky bid to pivot into showbiz resulted in the infamous 1987 TV special, "It's a Royal Knockout." The game show fiasco earned him the nickname "Prince Brat" from popular Daily Mail columnist Lynda Lee-Potter after Edward allegedly snapped at journalists for their lack of enthusiasm and stormed out of the press conference in a huff.

Shortly after this controversial interlude, Edward showed up to work at London's Palace Theatre carrying a packet of PG Tips tea bags, according to royal photographer Arthur Edwards (via Gloucestershire Live). In a moment of self-deprecating humor, the prince cheerfully called himself a "dogsbody" — British slang for someone who handles menial tasks. "He was going to be the tea boy for a while," the photographer said. "He was good fun." It was a disarmingly humble move from the prince, and for years, he lived that sort of life away from the spotlight, earning monikers like the "forgotten son" and "the quiet prince."

Now, with Andrew in exile and Prince Harry in California, Edward and his wife, Princess Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have stepped up as reliable, drama-free working royals. Historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop noted in the documentary "Edward: 60 Years a Prince" that he's "almost on track to becoming something of a national treasure," as reported by the Scottish Daily Express — proof that Edward's long game of quiet duty might finally be paying off.