King Charles gives Duke of Edinburgh title to brother Edward to honour Philip's wish
10.03.2023 - 13:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The King has honoured the late Queen and Philip's wishes by handed his father's title the Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward.
In celebration of Edward's 59th birthday, Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex on Friday. Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh and their son James Viscount Severn, 15, is the new Earl of Wessex.
It comes after another title change when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began officially using the titles Prince and Princess for their children Archie and Lilibet this week. The new duke and duchess will be in Edinburgh - their first outing with their new titles in the city which inspired their name - later on Friday at a reception to mark the first year of conflict in Ukraine.
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."
The dukedom - which in the past has been hereditary - will not, however, pass down to the Edinburghs' son James when Edward dies. Viscount Severn will become the Earl of Wessex and Forfar when the title of The Duke of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown, the Palace said.
Edward will also remain for his lifetime the Earl of Forfar, another of his titles, but will use the Duke of Edinburgh because it is the