38. At the age of 13, Prince Edward attended a lavish ball thrown by Napoleon III and his eyes were opened to the world of opulent parties
As a young boy, Edward enjoyed an innocent childhood. But this all changed when he was 13. In 1855, he accompanied his parents on a state visit to France. The Royal Family were greeted by Emperor Napoleon III and huge crowds lined the streets of Paris to welcome them. What’s more, Napoleon hosted a lavish ball for his guests, with fireworks, drinking and dancing into the early hours of the morning. Edward had his first taste of the party life that night and he was hooked. For the next few decades, he would spend most of his energy simply trying to have a good time.
