Ed Sheeran has brutally addressed the rumours about his friendship with Prince Harry, despite their uncanny resemblance.
The ‘Shape of You’ hitmaker, often mistaken for the Royal due to their similar looks, has been spotted at the same events as Harry but remains coy about their relationship.
In a witty retort during an interview in 2021, after showing up at Harry’s London residence, Ed quipped: “It’s like looking in a mirror,” sparking faux outrage from Harry. The pair first crossed paths back in 2011.
Speculation was rife that Ed might serenade the crowd at Harry and Meghan Markle‘s 2017 engagement bash, yet while he dismissed the idea of being the celebrity act, he didn’t outright refuse the gig, reports the Mirror.
On Entertainment Tonight, Ed clarified his Royal connections, saying: “I get asked this all the time like I know the Royal family. I’ve met Harry once. [And] that was in 2011 at his grans’ Jubilee, and it was like, ‘Hey. Hey… I barely know him!”
Ed’s Royal ties don’t end there; in 2017, he was honoured with an MBE by Prince Charles, representing Queen Elizabeth. Recently, news broke that Ed is pausing his music career to focus on a new initiative for youngsters.
The 33 year old is on a mission to boost music lesson funding for children and is advocating for schools nationwide to increase their offerings. He shared his thoughts on the initiative, stating: “I started doing that in the county I’m from, and we’ve just now changed to doing it nationwide.
“I’m now visiting more high schools that really need music funding and you can see what a difference it makes. I’m not an academic person in the real world I would be viewed as stupid.”
“But I excelled at music and therefore people think I’m good at something. I found it massively helpful to be at a state-funded school that really encouraged that. They’ve basically cut funding for that in England so I’m doing what I can to get funding for it.”
Generously, Ed donated a seven-figure sum to his alma mater, Thomas Mills High in Suffolk, responding to a plea from his former teacher who highlighted impending funding cuts six years ago. His donation exceeded £1m, aimed at fostering musical education for youngsters, a fact that came to light in 2022.