The more I think about it, the crazier it seems: Prince William had time to travel to Birmingham and visit a kid-led mental health campaign called “Am I Manly Enough?”… but William didn’t have the time, energy or interest in attending the Anzac Day service at the Cenotaph, or the Anzac service at Westminster Abbey. This wasn’t an event where William would have needed to fly overseas to represent his cancer-stricken father as heir. He literally would have just needed to get out of bed early and attend a wreath-laying in London early Thursday morning. Instead, the whole thing was passed off to Prince Edward. Sophie didn’t even go with her husband! It was just Edward, the king’s youngest brother, representing a major memorial day for Australian and New Zealand. Edward did it and there were no gaffes, but someone in the Wessex/Edinburgh household keeps briefing weird stories to Us Weekly. Stories about how Edward and Sophie are Charles’s favorites, even if they don’t get special honors.

A somber Prince Edward put on a brave face as he stepped out for a major royal duty this morning after being left disappointed by a “snub” from his brother King Charles III earlier this week. Us Weekly can exclusively reveal that Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie, were hoping to be recognized for their recent stepping up for the king while he and his daughter-in-law Princess Kate Middleton undergo cancer treatment.

However, when the monarch, 75, announced on Tuesday, April 23, his official new royal appointments, nowhere on that special list was his youngest brother. Edward is likely to be taking comfort in recently having been made a member of the esteemed Order of the Thistle, which the palace called “the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland.” However, the Companion of Honor is known for being a particularly special award granted to those who have made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time.

A royal insider tells Us: “[They] knew Charles was getting ready to announce the new honors and he also told William and Kate in advance. [William and Kate] were really thankful, and it gave them a boost to be acknowledged, especially with such amazing accolades.”

“They have really stepped things up with their commitment to service over the past few years. Edward’s household were hoping he would get an honor,” the source added. “He’s dedicated to the arts, and that’s often overlooked with his theater work.”

According to the insider, “Sophie has been supportive of him during this transitional period and they are really hoping it leads to something bigger and shows they are up to the task.”

“It was disappointing, the snub, but they are still as loyal as ever,” the source continued. “Charles has done nothing but sing their praises lately and it’s brought them even closer as brothers.”

Commentator Sarah Louise Robertson tells Us that Edward was never going to shirk his new responsibilities despite the snub.

“That King Charles has chosen his youngest brother to step up and lead the royals today in celebrating Anzac Day is a sign of how much Edward has grown comfortably into royal life and how much his brother admires and trusts him,” Robertson adds. “A couple of decades ago few would have ever thought the now Duke of Edinburgh capable of such an undertaking. Until fatherhood came along he seemed to be floundering for a role, heaping humiliation on the royals when he made the disastrous TV show It’s a Royal Knockout. … But he has thrived in recent years.”

[From Us Weekly]

Yeah, the Order of the Thistle honor sort of flew under the radar, but Edward did get the Thistle robes for his 60th birthday. He already has the Order of the Garter as well. It sounds like he’s jealous that Kate got the Companion of Honor order, especially because it’s more focused on work in the arts. And Edward does a lot of work with theaters and such. Like, that’s all fine with me – let Edward have the fancy royal robes and what have you, that sh-t doesn’t actually matter. But it’s remarkable that Edward is now being sent to these big military/veteran events and that he’s taking on more military patronages. And no one in the palace is like “maybe Edward is the wrong one for this?” But the palace is between a rock and a hard place, because the heir is just refusing to do any of it.

Photos of Edward on Anzac Day, courtesy of Cover Images and Avalon Red.