Prince Edward

Nope, not William or Harry. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, will be in the city April 26 and 27 for a series of events to mark his mother's 60 years on the throne, the city announced Tuesday. Mayor Nutter said he was delighted. "This is a high honor for us," he said. Edward will meet with students from Girard College, Science Leadership Academy, and Valley Forge Military Academy who have been honored by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program, which was established by Prince Edward's father, Prince Philip.

This unroyal trend of speaking out on public issues, championed by Prince Charles and Prince Philip, has now claimed the meekest royal, Prince Edward. Yesterday, while presenting a check for $1.4 million to a London charity that cares for an estimated 30,000 homeless teenagers, Edward blamed governmental changes in welfare benefits for worsening the plight of the homeless. "This blow is only one of many which can wreck a young life," the prince said. "For once in the homeless trap it is merely a vicious downward spiral with no escape.

Prince Edward will make his first trip to the United States in August when he joins 500 other Brits for the Broadway opening of the London hit show, Me and My Girl, Aug. 9. Edward, 22, who just finished his Cambridge University stint and will enter a marines officer-training program in the fall, will be the royal house's last eligible bachelor by then. His older brother, Prince Andrew, will marry Sarah Ferguson on July 23. Yesterday, Scotland Yard disclosed that "about 2,000" police officers would be deployed for wedding duty.

Prince Edward, long lured by the roar of the greasepaint, will become the first British royal to pursue a theatrical career next month when he joins the London company that produced the musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that Queen Elizabeth's youngest child will take the lowly job of production assistant with the Really Useful Theatre Company and has the full support of his parents. Edward, 23, who last year broke a royal tradition of military service by quitting the Royal Marines, appeared on stage several times as a Cambridge student and last summer corralled several other young royals into doing a charity version of a TV game show in medieval dress.

Prince Edward, standing by his woman, yesterday told critics to bug off in their criticism of Sophie Rhys-Jones for supposed conflicts of interest. "As far as I can work out, she is doing extremely well at promoting Britain [and] Britain's businesses . . . " said the 4-month-wed Edward in Britain's Daily Telegraph. "My wife has not undertaken any public engagements in her own right at all. It was agreed all the way along that she would continue working. There was never any time when she wasn't going to be able to carry on doing the job. She's got her job to do. It's an extremely successful business and she should be allowed to get on with it. It's not a conflict of interest in any way, shape or form.

Prince Edward, reacting angrily to rumors that he had more than a friendship going with British actor Michael Ball, declared in yesterday's editions of Britain's Daily Mirror, "I'm not gay. " Nigel Dempster, Daily Mail columnist and royal-watcher, recently reported a "touching friendship" between the two. "It's just outrageous to suggest this sort of thing," said Edward, 26. "It's so unfair to me and my family. How would you feel if someone said you were gay?" The prince is in New York serving as a production assistant on Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Aspects of Love, in which Ball is featured.

The privileged world in which Prince Edward grew up, a world of palaces, polished silver and nobility's obligations, could not have been further from that of the students at Girard College, where hardship — both financial and emotional — are among the criteria for admission. But Thursday, when Edward visited Girard, the distance between him and the students who greeted him was easily bridged with handshakes, friendly banter, and some gentle ribbing. His motorcade of Land Rovers and Range Rovers drove through the boarding school's black iron gates at 12:30 p.m., greeted by hundreds of students in burgundy and gray uniforms, lining the circular drive, cheering, and waving handmade paper American and British flags.

A BRITISH PRINCE will pay a royal visit to Philadelphia at the end of the month. Nope, not William or Harry. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, is coming to the city on April 26 and 27 for a series of events to mark his mother's 60 years on the throne, the city announced Tuesday. And Mayor Nutter is delighted. "This is a high honor for us here in Philadelphia," Nutter said. "I'm looking forward to meeting Prince Edward, strengthening our ties.

GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. and The Philadelphia Foundation will donate a combined $1 million to help fund 515 educationally enriched summer jobs for young people in the city's WorkReady programs, Mayor Nutter announced at Friday's British American Business Council breakfast. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, attended and is visiting the city to help celebrate the queen's diamond jubilee. — David Sell

Prince Edward, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II,is due in Philadelphia this afternoon.   Just a word of advice: For men, the standard protocol is to bow - from the head only. For women, a slight curtsy will do. Or, if you won't have none of that. Don't worry. There is no obligatory greeting. However, it would also be good to refer to the Prince as, "Your Royal Highness" on first reference, then "Sir" on second.   Prince Edward is in town to honor his mother's 60th Anniversary as queen and to support the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program in the city, so named after his father.

GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. and The Philadelphia Foundation will donate a combined $1 million to help fund 515 educationally enriched summer jobs for young people in the city's WorkReady programs, Mayor Nutter announced at Friday's British American Business Council breakfast. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, attended and is visiting the city to help celebrate the queen's diamond jubilee. — David Sell

The privileged world in which Prince Edward grew up, a world of palaces, polished silver and nobility's obligations, could not have been further from that of the students at Girard College, where hardship — both financial and emotional — are among the criteria for admission. But Thursday, when Edward visited Girard, the distance between him and the students who greeted him was easily bridged with handshakes, friendly banter, and some gentle ribbing. His motorcade of Land Rovers and Range Rovers drove through the boarding school's black iron gates at 12:30 p.m., greeted by hundreds of students in burgundy and gray uniforms, lining the circular drive, cheering, and waving handmade paper American and British flags.

Prince Edward, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II,is due in Philadelphia this afternoon.   Just a word of advice: For men, the standard protocol is to bow - from the head only. For women, a slight curtsy will do. Or, if you won't have none of that. Don't worry. There is no obligatory greeting. However, it would also be good to refer to the Prince as, "Your Royal Highness" on first reference, then "Sir" on second.   Prince Edward is in town to honor his mother's 60th Anniversary as queen and to support the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program in the city, so named after his father.

A BRITISH PRINCE will pay a royal visit to Philadelphia at the end of the month. Nope, not William or Harry. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, is coming to the city on April 26 and 27 for a series of events to mark his mother's 60 years on the throne, the city announced Tuesday. And Mayor Nutter is delighted. "This is a high honor for us here in Philadelphia," Nutter said. "I'm looking forward to meeting Prince Edward, strengthening our ties.

Nope, not William or Harry. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, will be in the city April 26 and 27 for a series of events to mark his mother's 60 years on the throne, the city announced Tuesday. Mayor Nutter said he was delighted. "This is a high honor for us," he said. Edward will meet with students from Girard College, Science Leadership Academy, and Valley Forge Military Academy who have been honored by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program, which was established by Prince Edward's father, Prince Philip.

We were prepared for a high-season vacation last summer, one that would no doubt include crowds at the beaches, long waits at restaurants, and plenty of testy clerks. But if this was high season on Prince Edward Island, I cannot imagine low season. Yes, there were "No Vacancy" signs dotting the landscape along the two-lane roads on the Canadian island north of Nova Scotia, but most of the stops we made on our four-day journey to P.E.I. in mid-July were remarkably uncrowded. "Traffic" meant having more than one car in front of you. We'd decided to look at a trip to Canada because of the great exchange rate and because neither my husband nor I had spent much time there, except for a trip to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and to Niagara Falls when I was 3. Besides being known as the Land of Anne (Anne of Green Gables, written by P.E.I.

Prince Edward, standing by his woman, yesterday told critics to bug off in their criticism of Sophie Rhys-Jones for supposed conflicts of interest. "As far as I can work out, she is doing extremely well at promoting Britain [and] Britain's businesses . . . " said the 4-month-wed Edward in Britain's Daily Telegraph. "My wife has not undertaken any public engagements in her own right at all. It was agreed all the way along that she would continue working. There was never any time when she wasn't going to be able to carry on doing the job. She's got her job to do. It's an extremely successful business and she should be allowed to get on with it. It's not a conflict of interest in any way, shape or form.

Demonstrating that hope springs eternal - even in the world's most infamously unlucky-at-love family - Britain's Prince Edward announced yesterday that he and his girlfriend for the past five years, Sophie Rhys-Jones, will marry. The couple presented themselves at a London photo op to share a few official sweet nothings. "We've got a very good relationship. Ultimately, we're the best of friends and that's what it's all about," said Edward, 34, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

He could have worked out anywhere, but rocker Bruce Springsteen chose Fairmount's no-frills Lifesport gym to boost his biceps Saturday. In town for two sold-out shows at the Tower, the Boss showed up unannounced for a weightlifting session. According to Lifesport employee Phil Tolentino, Springsteen mostly worked his upper body, bench-pressing 185 pounds. "He's a strong, fit guy, particularly for a rock star," says Tolentino. The gym visit was arranged through a neighborhood massage therapist used by Springsteen when he's in town.

I've had my shot at being a sex bomb. It's someone else's turn now. - Sharon Stone, on playing second fiddle to Lolita Davidovich in "Intersection" LESS HORSING AROUND FOR CHUCK CUTS BACK ON SADDLE TIME AFTER MUM'S MISHAP BritRoyal watchers around the world are breathing sighs of relief today. No, Princess Diana hasn't decided to return to work. No, Fergie hasn't persuaded Andrew that toe-sucking is a normal part of one's relationship with a financial adviser.