The Palace has announced who will receive the title of Duke of Edinburgh after Prince Philip's death.
King Charles III will confer the title to his brother Prince Edward, reportedly honouring the wishes of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, and his late father, according to Buckingham Palace. Charles will pass the title onto the former Earl of Wessex in celebration of Edward's 59th birthday on Friday.
It means Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, will be the new Duchess of Edinburgh while their 15-year-old son James will become the new Earl of Wessex. Earlier this week, a similar change in titles was announced when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began using the titles Prince and Princess for their children Archie and Lilibet.
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Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon the Prince Edward, on the occasion of HRH’s 59th birthday today. The title will be held for HRH’s lifetime.
“The dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne 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.”
While the dukedom was traditionally a hereditary title, it will not pass down to the Edinburghs' son James when Edward dies. Instead, the title will revert to the crown, according to the Palace.
Buckingham Palace previously announced Edward would eventually become the Duke of Edinburgh once both Philip and the Queen pass away. The palace said at the time: “The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales have also agreed that the Prince Edward should be given the dukedom of Edinburgh in due course when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.”
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