King Charles' affection for little brother Prince Edward and his wife Sophie highlighted at recent engagement

King Charles showed his affection for his youngest brother in a subtle way during a recent royal engagement as he met with a Canadian astronaut.

• King Charles met with Canadian astronaut, and former Commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield.
• The pair met at Buckingham Palace to discuss efforts to encourage sustainability in space.
• In other royal news, Princess Margaret's secret romance was exposed to the world because of a tiny piece of fluff.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, King Charles met with a Canadian astronaut at Buckingham Palace to discuss sustainability. The King's meeting with the astronaut took place in a splendid room that was decked out with chandeliers, paintings in gold frames, flowers, and statues.

There was also a grand piano that was covered with a tablecloth and a large ornate lamp. On top of this beautiful instrument was a variety of family photographs from over the years. Many of these photos were in black and white and featured members of the Royal Family who have passed.

Among the old photographs, the King showed his affection for his younger brother Prince Edwards, as a photograph of the Prince was placed on the King's piano. The photograph showed Prince Edward on his wedding day to the Countess of Wessex, Sophie. The pair married in June 1999 and Sophie went from PR business owner, Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, to Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar whose children are in the royal line of succession.

In King Charles's first Christmas speech as monarch in December 2022, the King made a key change and decided to not sit at a desk filled with family photos for his speech. Instead, the King stood in a foyer for his broadcast, without images of his family in the background. This made a great change to the Queen who would sit at a desk filled with images of her family.

This means that this peek into the drawing rooms at Buckingham Palace is the first time that royal fans have been able to see how the King has decorated these rooms. 

It is, of course, possible that the King has opted to keep many of the photographs the same, and has simply left the family photos that were cherished by his mother, in the same position. 

However, since the Queen's death in September 2022, the King has ensured that his brother and sister's position in the royal line of succession hasn't affected their importance in the Royal Family as senior royals. King Charles’ first major change as King saw him prioritize two of his siblings as Princess Anne and Prince Edward became Counselors of State. Counselors of State can stand in for the monarch and undertake the majority of their duties on a “temporary basis”. Counselors of State also include the monarch’s spouse, and the four people highest in the royal line of succession - as long as they are above the age of 21. 

This gesture showed King Charles' respect for his siblings, and this sweet photograph of the Earl and Countess of Wessex in Buckingham Palace demonstrates the King's continued affection towards his youngest brother.