Buckingham Palace has announced that the King has conferred his late father’s title, the Duke of Edinburgh, on his brother Prince Edward. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that the title will be held by Prince Edward for his lifetime.
The Dukedom of Edinburgh was last created for Prince Philip in 1947 when he married Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before becoming Queen in 1952.
The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.
Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their 15-year-old son James, Viscount Severn, is the new Earl of Wessex. The dukedom, which has been hereditary in the past, will not pass down to James when Edward dies. James will become the Earl of Wessex and Forfar when the title of the Duke of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown.
The late Duke of Edinburgh had always wanted his youngest son Edward to inherit his title, but the decision ultimately was down to Charles as King.
When Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones married in 1999, they were given the titles the Earl and Countess of Wessex. But Buckingham Palace also announced Edward would eventually succeed his father as the Duke of Edinburgh, but not until after the death of both Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
The changes in titles have already been updated on the royal family’s official website. The line of succession list on royal.uk now shows 13th in line Edward as the Duke of Edinburgh and 14th in line James as the Earl of Wessex.
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