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London (CNN)-- Edward, Earl of Wessex, pops his head around the door of the room in St James's Palace and chuckles at the numerous cameras set up for the interview. "Do you have enough?" he laughs.
The Queen's youngest child, 57, seems to be in good spirits on this glorious summer day in London despite the occasion. Thursday would have been the 100th birthday of Edward's father, Prince Philip, and he is marking the date by reflecting on the Duke of Edinburgh's legacy and his eponymous Award program.
But there is an elephant in the room. Hours before CNN's US exclusive sit-down with the Earl, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were forced to deny a report in the British media that they had not consulted the Queen about using her childhood nickname of Lilibet for their newborn daughter.
Headlines probing the relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the family have been frequent since the couple relinquished their roles as working royals last year and relocated to California. Responding to a question about current family tensions, the Earl says the situation is "very sad."
"Listen, weirdly we've all been there before -- we've all had excessive intrusion and attention in our lives. And we've all dealt with it in slightly different ways, and listen, we wish them the very best of luck. It's a really hard decision," Edward says.
