Centuries have witnessed the tradition of marrying off the offspring of monarchs to other royal descendants, yet not all attempts have proven successful. Among these unrealized unions was the prospect of joining Spain’s Infanta Elena with the United Kingdom’s Prince Edward.
The unrealized courtship of Infanta Elena and Prince Edward can be traced back to the desire of uniting the British and Spanish monarchies.
The failed romance of the Infanta Elena and Prince Edward
The notion emerged during the silver wedding anniversary celebration of Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonia in 1993.
Termed as the “most elegant bachelor party in history,” this event presented a perfect opportunity to forge marital alliances between the noble houses of Europe.
Spanish newspapers promptly splashed the headlines “Elena chooses Edward” when the Infanta and the British prince were photographed together.
The duo had been caught sharing a horse-drawn carriage on the Norwegian coast the day after the festivities. It is worth noting, however, that neither Prince Edward nor Infanta Elena displayed any signs of a budding romance.
At the time, Elena was 30 years old, while Edward was 29, both poised for a potential connection. Nevertheless, their acquaintance failed to progress beyond being captured in photographs inside a carriage, sharing laughter and seeking warmth beneath a shared blanket. Cupid’s arrow did not strike them.
In 1995, Elena took a different path, exchanging vows with Jaime de Marichalar, from whom she later divorced in 2010. The couple welcomed two children, Felipe Juan Froilán and Victoria Federica.
Meanwhile, Edward’s journey towards matrimony took a few more years. Eventually, he crossed paths with his future wife, Sophie Rhys Jones. Their wedding took place in 1999, and together they welcomed two children, Lady Louise and James.
Perhaps destiny had ordained that Elena and Edward would each have a daughter and a son with their respective partners. Their brief encounter in Norway remains a nostalgic reminder of what might have been, but destiny had other plans, denying the world a royal romance between these two members of European nobility.