Duchess Sophie 'could have been Queen' after strange request made to Royal Family

is a fixed rule that can't be changed based on personal whims. While the British royals are well aware of this, it appears that one foreign nation didn't quite understand when they made an odd proposal to in 1994.

The country was undergoing significant socio-political changes at the time, which led them to ask youngest son, Prince Edward, to become their head of state. politely declined the "charming" but unusual offer. However, if Prince Edward had accepted, it would have drastically altered subsequent events. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1994, several new countries emerged in Eastern Europe, including Estonia.

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During Estonia's first elections, the Independent Royalist Party, who wanted the country to be a monarchy, won eight seats in Parliament and began searching for a suitable candidate for the top job. The Sunday Telegraph reported at the time that the party leader had written to the to ask if would consider becoming their king, as they believed he was "perfect" for the role.

The country expressed its honour and admiration for Prince Edward, inviting him to accept a unique offer because they "enormously" admired him. Buckingham Palace reportedly responded to the peculiar proposal, stating it was "a charming idea but a rather unlikely one".

In March this year, and his wife Sophie experienced a significant change in their royal status, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, a title with profound meaning especially for Sophie. The previous Duchess of Edinburgh was the late Queen, who held the title from her marriage in 1947 until she became queen in 1952.

Sophie shared an exceptionally close relationship with the Queen and recounted to the Telegraph the moment expressed his wish for them to take on the Edinburgh title: "We sat there slightly stunned. He literally came straight in and said, 'Right. I'd like it very much if you would consider that'."

However, this wasn't the only title option for the couple; before their 1999 wedding, it was announced they would be known as The Earl and Countess of Wessex, which surprised many as it was expected that Edward would receive a dukedom like his brothers.

In a remarkable revelation, it emerged that had indeed presented the option of the Duke of Cambridge title to Edward and Sophie – a title now held by and Kate as part of their Prince and roles. However, in an unexpected move, Edward turned down the offer.

Opting for the title of Earl made Prince Edward the first Royal since the Tudor era to break with such a convention. The decision wasn't a snub towards the Queen; rather, it was at Edward's behest to hold the distinct title of Earl of Wessex – a title dormant since the 11th century.

Influenced by his fondness for the movie 'Shakespeare in Love', featuring a character named Lord Wessex, Edward reportedly expressed his preference during a conversation with the Queen. A Royal insider recounted to the Telegraph in 2010, "He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead."

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