King Charles III has granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh to his younger brother, Prince Edward, on the occasion of his 59th birthday this Friday. As an unusual measure due to the wide recognition of the title, which Elizabeth II’s husband used for much of her life, it will not be hereditary and will revert to the British Crown when the time comes.
Hitherto known as Sophie of Wessex, she was Elizabeth II’s only daughter-in-law who was not a duchess, and will henceforth be known as the Duchess of Edinburgh. Her son James, Viscount Severn, aged 15, will be known from today as the Earl of Wessex, the former title of his father. As dictated by outdated male primogeniture rules, these changes will not affect the couple’s eldest daughter, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor.
The previous Duke of Edinburgh was Prince Felipe, who was awarded this distinction shortly before his wedding to Elizabeth II in 1947. It was in the last years of Prince Felipe’s life that Edward got closer to the work his father did dedicating his time to causes that it is already a tradition that they receive support from the Duke of Edinburgh. And since Harry and Meghan’s resignation, the couple have further intensified their activity within the family.
When Prince Edward and Sophie married in 1999 it was announced that the Dukedom of Edinburgh would pass to them after the death of Elizabeth II’s husband, but talks have not been easy on this matter and British tabloids suggest that there have been quite a few disagreements. and visits behind the scenes.
The problem was that Buckingham was concerned that this title would be diluted over time in an increasingly distant branch of the royal family, as will happen, for example, with the dukedom of Kent. Prince Edward is 13th in the line of succession to the British throne and will move further down the list over the years as the sons of the Princes of Wales and the Dukes of Sussex grow up and have families of their own.
For this reason, it was also speculated that the duchy of Edinburgh would go to one of Prince William’s children or that Charles III would keep it permanently, but in the end it has prevailed to honor the wishes of Prince Felipe and thank Eduardo for the work he has done on behalf of the British Crown in recent years.
After the death of Elizabeth II there have been substantial changes for the first time in seven decades in the line of succession to the British throne, in the titles held by the different members of the royal family and also in the royal residences, which are assigned to range tenor.