Edouard followed in the footsteps of his elder brother, Sir Philippe de Carteret who was Bailiff from 1661 to 1662.
In 1673 he married Jeanne Herault, Dame de la Godelière. WHen she died in 1694 he married the 20-year-old Madeleine Durell, daughter of his Lieut-Bailiff, Jean Durell. He had no children by either wife
Duke of York
When the future King Charles II came to Jersey in 1649, Edouard became friends with his 16-year-old brother, the Duke of York and future King James II. He went with him when he left and spent time in Paris and Brussels, but what he did between 1652, when the young prince joined the army of Turenne, and the Restoration in 1660 is not known.
As a reward for his services to the Crown, and those of his father, he was granted all the island's perquages (sanctuary paths from the parish churches to the coast) by Letters Patent on 30 May 1663. He sold much of this land to owners of adjoining properties, but also gave some to the Parish of St Brelade, and also to St Helier for the building of a corn market. After his death his widow continued to sell off perquage land, as did his descendants.
Edouard's duties in London initially prevented him taking an active role in the administration of the island, but he was chosen by the States on two occasions in 1665 and 1666 to be their Deputy to represent them before the Privy Council.
On 30 May 1668 he was sworn in as Viscount, but continued to act as the future King's cupbearer in London. He was kinghted between 1668 and 1671, and in 1673 he accompanied James to Dover to meet his bride, Mary of Modena. He was still in the Prince's service in 1679, when he was partly instrumental in the appointment of a new Governor for Jersey, Sir John Lanier. Soon he was appearing before the Privy Council representing the States and trying to get a ruling by Lanier overturned. The King had issued an order confirming the island's privileges, but Lanier sought to have this suspended until he could discover what the privileges were. He objected to a ruling given in the wake of a States protest against his predecessor, Sir Thomas Morgan that "no Governor shall disturb the inhabitants in the peaceable possession of their privileges".
Duel threatened
There were angry scenes and Edouard and Lanier might have fought a duel had the King not intervened. The outcome was that several points in the King's earlier order were revised in Lanier's favour. This was just the latest in a long line of disputes between Bailiff and Governor over the island's constitution and the respective roles and authority of the two officers of the Crown.
Back in Jersey Lanier vetoed the payment of de Carteret's expenses and he had to appeal to the Council to get them. The two continued to clash and in 1683 de Carteret resigned as Viscount, with a view to securing a position on the Jurats' bench.
Whatever his problems in Jersey, Edouard de Carteret continued to enjoy the confidence of the King, for when the Bailiff, Sir Philippe de Carteret died in 1693, his eldest son Charles was only 14 and too young to succeed him, as had been intended, so King William III appointed Sir Edouard to the office until Charles came of age.
He presided in the States twice in 1694, and again in 1697, but, although he had a house in St Helier, he spent most of his time in London. George Balleine's Biographical Dictionary of Jersey gives his years of death as 1698, but the Rev J A Messervy says that he lived until 1703 and that no Juge-Délégué was appointed on his death, but Lieut-Bailiff Jean Durell handed the Island Seal to his successor, Charles de Carteret. It seems likely, however, that de Carteret died in 1702, which was the year in which his successor was appointed, although he was not sworn in until the following year.
| Predecessor | Successor | |
| Philippe de Carteret 1682-1693 |
Edouard de Carteret 1694-1702 |
Charles de Carteret 1703-1715 |
