Princess Beatrice slices open Ed Sheeran’s face with a sword while attempting to ‘knight’ James Blunt as party prank goes wrong
Royal was said to be 'inconsolable' after singer was rushed to hospital for stitches before returning to the bash
PRINCESS Beatrice sliced open Ed Sheeran’s face with a sword while attempting to “knight” James Blunt as a party prank.
Ed, 25, was rushed to hospital after Bea, 28, swung the ceremonial blade over her shoulder without realising he was behind her.
He showed off the scar this week after the Windsor knees-up.
One source said: “He could’ve been blinded.’’
The royal had grabbed a sword after soldier-turned-singer James Blunt, 42, joked that he would love to become a Sir.
But as she said “arise Sir James”, she is believed to have misjudged the weight of the blade and had no idea Ed Sheeran was standing right behind her.
Singer-songwriter Ed, at the party with girlfriend Cherry Seaborn, was taken to hospital for treatment to a gash under his eye.
Beatrice was said to be “inconsolable”.
Ed, whose hits include Bloodstream, later returned to the do at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, home to Bea’s dad Prince Andrew.
Andrew was away on business but Bea’s mum Sarah Ferguson, who has staged mock knighthood ceremonies in the past, was at the do earlier this month.
Pictures of Ed’s injury were posted online, leading fans to speculate over the cause.
Our source revealed: “Ed had been invited to dinner as a guest of Princess Beatrice.
“They all sat down and there were 20 or so guests, including Sarah Ferguson, James Blunt and his wife Sofia Wellesley.
“Prince Andrew was in Mexico on a trade mission.
“As the night wore on they started talking about honours and apparently James Blunt joked that he would love a knighthood.
“Beatrice jokingly said she could arrange it and fetched a ceremonial sword.
“Everyone was having a great laugh and the joke was very much in keeping with the tone of the whole party.
“James played along with the prank and got down on one knee as he would if he were at Buckingham Palace being honoured by The Queen.
“Beatrice, who was in great form, held the sword above him and said ‘arise Sir James’, just like her nan would at the Palace.
“But she must have misjudged the weight or something and, instead of lightly tapping him on the shoulder, she swung it back, not knowing Ed was standing right behind her.
“The blade cut into his face and it was just a few inches from his right eye.
“A couple of the guests said it could have been worse and he could have been blinded in the eye but Ed really played it down.
“Everyone was totally shocked and apparently Beatrice was very upset.
“But Ed was the perfect gentleman and told her it was just an accident.
“However it became apparent that the wound needed treatment so Ed was taken to hospital. He had to have stitches put in.”
The star was treated at a nearby hospital before returning to the royal bash.
Jet-setting Beatrice, who split from long-term boyfriend Dave Clark this summer, was said to be “extremely relieved”.
Our source went on: “Afterwards, Ed went back to the house and carried on the party, as Cherry was there and he wanted to show he was OK to Beatrice.
“Obviously the princess was upset and everyone was talking about it, but she and Ed spoke about and everything was fine.
“She did nothing wrong except mess around at a party and her friends, including Ed, all told her that.”
The following night Ed, who has taken a year off after his whirlwind global success, made no attempt to hide his injury as he attended a gig at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire.
He posed for photos with fans which were then posted online, sparking feverish speculation about his wound.
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One Twitter user asked: “What’s on his face? Did he hurt himself?”
Others wrongly speculated it was caused by too much boozing.
LaurenMaher9 wrote: “Ed Sheeran got too drunk the other night and fell, cut his face and had to get stitches ahaha.”
Another said: “He got drunk drinking whisky, fell, and had to go to A&E to get stitches.”
Earlier that week, the kind-hearted star visited another hospital to serenade a nine-year-old fan with a rare brain disorder.
The singer sang his song Photograph to Melody Driscoll at Epsom Hospital, Surrey.
Her mum Karina said: “She was the happiest I have ever seen her in her entire life.”
His royal “knighthood” accident was not the first time he has had a scare with a sword.
He confessed in 2013 he almost injured Taylor Swift with one which was given to him by Lord of The Rings director Peter Jackson.
The pair, who have toured together, were travelling on country superstar Swift’s private jet when tragedy almost struck.
Ed said: “It’s a real sword. I was bringing it to Nashville and her crew were weirded out by it.
“The plane is taking off, it was on the table and started sliding down. I was like, ‘No! It’s just about to impale Taylor’.”
Meanwhile, James has royal connections himself, having guarded the Queen Mother’s coffin before her funeral in 2002 when he was still an Army Captain.
After leaving the Armed Forces he achieved worldwide fame with his hit You’re Beautiful and married Sofia, 33, the granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington.
Mock knighthood ceremonies are nothing new for the Royal Family.
In 1990 Bea’s mum Sarah, now 57, amazed party guests in New York when she “knighted” a dog.
The Duchess of York bent down, dubbed the pet Sir Rutherford and tapped him on either side of his ears with a breadknife.
Those being knighted for real kneel before The Queen as they are dubbed, lightly touched on the shoulder with a sword.
Prince William recently knighted Rod Stewart at Buckingham Palace — and when the Queen met the rocker later that day she asked him: “Did he do it OK?”
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman declined to comment on the Bea incident.
Ed’s spokesman also refused to comment.
LAUGH LIKE MUM
By ARTHUR EDWARDS, Sun Royal Photographer
BEATRICE not only looks like her mother Sarah Ferguson, but she shares the same impetuous sense of humour.
I was in LA in 1988 and Sarah was giving a speech.
Someone wolf-whistled her and she just said: “I will get your number later.”
That is what she was like.
Beatrice is the same, and when you’re at a party and there is a spare ceremonial sword hanging about, why not stage a fake knighthood on one of Britain’s best-known singing stars?
I suppose James Blunt has been quite lucky.
And if there’s a scar, Ed Sheeran will be able to dine out on it for years.
Beatrice has done nothing wrong, except have an accident when she and others were in high spirits.
