Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have "forced the hand" of King Charles to grant new titles to Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, a commentator has claimed.
Early last week, it was revealed that Harry and Meghan's children are now known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet - following a statement from the Sussexes confirming Lilibet had been christened.
Then days later, it was announced that Prince Edward was being granted the title Duke of Edinburgh after his late father Prince Philip, making his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
This announcement came from Buckingham Palace and revealed how Charles was "pleased" to confer the title on his younger brother - despite some reports he had been reluctant to pass on the title promised to Edward by the late Queen and Prince Philip.
And now royal commentator Richard Eden has claimed that there had been a lot of "toing and froing" over whether Charles should give Edward the Dukedom of Edinburgh.
Speaking on the Mail+ Palace Confidential programme, he claimed said: "But then, when Harry and Meghan started using the Prince and Princess titles for their children, it became clear this wasn’t going to happen and then King Charles could hardly justify not giving Prince Edward the title he’d been promised by their parents.
"It was a big deal and I really think that was behind it."
The granting of the Dukedom of Edinburgh to Edward means that Sophie is now the Duchess of Edinburgh - and there is also a change for their son 15-year-old James.
He is Earl of Wessex - the title that his father was granted on his wedding day - however, there is no change for Lady Louise Windsor, Edward and Sophie's daughter, whose title has remained the same.
It has long been known that Edward would one day become the Duke of Edinburgh after a pledge made by the late Queen on his wedding day in June 1999.
At the time, eyebrows were raised when he was given an Earldom rather than a Dukedom. However, it was announced at the time of the nuptials that Edward would succeed his father as the Duke of Edinburgh with the blessing of his parents after his death.
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."
Philip’s desire for Edward to have the title was in recognition of his son’s decades-long commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the youth scheme which is one of Philip’s greatest legacies.
