Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex missed opportunity to become King and Queen

King Charles III's youngest brother's wife Sophie Wessex 'could have become Queen' after an odd request was sent to her husband Prince Edward to take a top job in Eastern Europe almost 30 years ago.

The late Queen's fourth child Edward - who has now slipped to 14th in the line of succession behind a host of siblings, nieces, nephews and their children - has never been expected to become the King. 

The Duke of Edinburgh was reportedly offered a top job more than 30 years ago, which would have eventually made Sophie the Queen, but it wouldn't have been in Britain, it would have been in a different country altogether.

Edward was offered the chance to become the king of a newly formed country back in the 1990s. It came in 1994 after the collapse of the Soviet Union when a whole host of new countries were created in Eastern Europe, according to a new report.

One of them was Estonia, and in the country's first elections after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a political party called the Independent Royalist Party of Estonia gained eight seats in parliament. 

The leader of the party had written to the royal family to ask if Prince Edward would become their king as they thought he was "perfect" for the role, The Sunday Telegraph revealed at the time.

It was further said that the country would be honoured if he would accept as the party admired him "enormously". Following the unusual request, Buckingham Palace is said to have written back, saying that it was "a charming idea but a rather unlikely one".

Edward and Sophie both have received brand new titles earlier this year - upholding a promise made to them by the late Queen on their wedding day in June 1999. 

At the time, eyebrows were raised when Edward was given an Earldom rather than a Dukedom. However, it was announced at the time of the nuptials that he would succeed his father as the Duke of Edinburgh with the blessing of his parents after his death.