Oh, this thread just kills me! So funny to think back to this show. I was a kid and I remember watching it many times
. It had many people that were very popular like John Cleese and Christopher Reeve. Each team was led by a different member of the royal family as the captain.
It was surprising to see Princess Anne very boisterous and not as stern as she normally seemed. If I'm remembering right Anne's team won the whole thing for her Save the Children Fund?
There was a book, and also a board game that I recall. At the time it seemed okay. It seemed Prince Edward was going into the show business side of things. As a kid I didn't get how this could be cringe inducing for many Monarchists. Now it seems almost unbelievable he was able to manage putting that together. It must have taken some doing. I remember a quote from Prince Edward saying he was just getting by on a Mars bar because he didn't even have time for a proper meal. Thinking back he actually did have some pretty good organizational skills as a producer, and was said to have called the stars he wanted to compete himself.
The after "fit" he had is on youtube.com. (He has very nice eyes but is already losing his hair in this clip too bad
.) Basically the press couldn't be wandering around on the game course, or getting too close to the stars that had signed on (actors, singers, athletes, etc.) I guess, so were kept in a sort of tent, where they could watch it on tv. Prince Edward changes out of the costume he wore into regular clothes, looks tired and says something like he hopes they enjoyed it, asks were they watching, press mumbles, he says well what did you think? Mostly dead silence. Edward says "right!" gets up and leaves the tent.
I think both sides were tired, and Prince Edward seemed to be under the impression it was very successful, and he had obviously worked very hard on it. So when the press is sort of quiet about it he's
not happy. I imagine in his head he assumed they were going to applaud his efforts heartily. He was the baby of the family and was probably used to getting a big chunk of attention just by simply being present. The press did not get that notice that day....
As he asked what the press thought after the moment of silence there was some laughter, and had he not been tired, in a mood, whatever, I think he could have saved that situation and turned it to his advantage. He was seated while it seemed the press was standing which was also a bit odd, putting himself lower than them but trying to command a certain response might have also worked against him.
It is too bad when I think back to situations like this where he did do some very interesting, even if not entirely appropriate things, that could have helped build him up had he given more patience toward it and not been perceived to have been pouting and taking off.
Later on I was more impressed with some of the work he did with Ardent Productions ( Edward on Edward (about King Edward), a series of ghost stories, a tv mystery movie, etc. though not always in a head role). That company obviously didn't survive well, but it was going in the right direction for him. (I also enjoyed the Duke of York's photograph book with a very stylized, dramatic photo of Prince Edward in it.)
This is why I am surprised, and not very convinced, when I see posts that Edward wants to be unknown, etc. it has always seemed the opposite to me. It just did not work out as he wanted. I do wish he could still be creative as he was then while maintaining royal dignity and demands. Easier said than done but he is still young and who knows what the future will have in store for him.
I believe he has always enjoyed the drama, mystery, and glam side of royal life, and along with his skills in production he could have grown and improved in that field and perhaps eventually made quite a name for himself with it ( and not just tied to him being a royal).
