Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III has conferred the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday.
This means that Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. However, in a break with tradition, the title has not been made hereditary. It was announced that the title would only be held by Prince Edward during his lifetime.
The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip, upon his marriage to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947. Upon his death in 2021, the title was inherited by the then Prince of Wales. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the Prince of Wales became King, and the Dukedom of Edinburgh merged with the Crown. It was then available for King Charles to be created again.
Their son, previously Viscount Severn, will now be known as the Earl of Wessex. Lady Louise’s courtesy title remains unchanged.
Buckingham Palace states that “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.”
Not making the Dukedom hereditary is a way of downsizing the family going forward, I suppose?
Yes, and I expect they will want the freedom to award it to whoever takes over the DoE award after Edward.