For more than 20 years, the Earl of Wessex has been expecting to inherit his father’s title and become the Duke of Edinburgh one day. But his eldest brother is not so set on the idea, it has emerged.
The Prince of Wales, who holds his late father’s title, is understood to be reluctant to hand it over to Prince Edward, 57, the only of the Queen’s three sons not to hold a dukedom.
In 1999, when Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Queen gave him the earldom of Wessex, a title he chose.
On their wedding day, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement: “The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have also agreed that the Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title held now by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.”
But those close to Prince Charles, 72, say his thinking has since shifted, and he is reassessing his plans for the future. A source who knows Charles, said: “The prince is the Duke of Edinburgh as it stands, and it is up to him what happens to the title. It will not go to Edward.” Another source close to the prince, said: “Edinburgh won’t go to them [the Wessexes] as far as the prince is concerned.”
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Philip’s title passed to his eldest son upon his death in April, and will remain with Charles until his accession, when it will merge with the Crown. It will then be Charles’s decision whether to bestow it on Edward, another member of his family, or to leave it in abeyance.
David White, garter king of arms, who advises the royal family on heraldry, said there would be no immediate requirement for Charles to grant the Edinburgh title anew when he becomes sovereign. White said: “George VI was the Duke of York and when he became king, the dukedom merged with the Crown. It wasn’t granted again until Prince Andrew became Duke of York.” The Queen conferred the dukedom on Andrew when he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
After his father’s death, Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, sought advice on whether to start using the Edinburgh title. It is understood he was advised to continue using the Rothesay title, which is senior to the Edinburgh dukedom.
Edward is thought to be aware that his hope of becoming the next Duke of Edinburgh is not a done deal. In an interview with the BBC last month to mark what would have been Philip’s 100th birthday, he was asked: “You will be the next Duke of Edinburgh, when the Prince of Wales becomes king, that is quite something to take on?”
Edward replied: “It was fine in theory, ages ago when it was sort of a pipe dream of my father’s . . . and of course it will depend on whether or not the Prince of Wales, when he becomes king, whether he’ll do that, so we’ll wait and see. So yes, it will be quite a challenge taking that on.”
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The Wessexes, who are considered a safe pair of hands and are close to the Queen, also recently spoke about Philip’s surprise request after their engagement in 1999 that they take on his title. “We sat there slightly stunned,” said Sophie, 56, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph last month. “He literally came straight in and said, ‘Right. I’d like it very much if you would consider that’.”
In the same interview, Edward admitted that “theoretically” it should have gone to Prince Andrew, but the Queen had already conferred a dukedom on him. “It’s a very bittersweet role to take on because the only way the title can come to me is after both my parents have actually passed away,” Edward said.
“My father was very keen that the title should continue, but he didn’t quite move quickly enough with Andrew, so it was us who he eventually had the conversation with. It was a lovely idea; a lovely thought.”
The Wessexes have taken on a more prominent role within the royal family since Prince Andrew stepped back from public life in 2019, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties last year. Edward has taken on several of his father’s patronages and is trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, founded by Philip in 1956 to help young people develop life and work skills.
The Queen is known to be especially fond of Sophie and is understood to have encouraged the Wessexes to boost their public profile.
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The Edinburgh title was first created in 1726 by King George I, who bestowed it on his grandson, Prince Frederick. After Frederick’s death, the title was inherited by his son, Prince George, and when he became King George III in 1760, the title merged with the Crown.
Queen Victoria revived the title in 1866 for her second son, Prince Alfred, who died in 1900. The title was re-created for a third time by the Queen’s father, King George VI, who bestowed it on Philip in November 1947, for his marriage to Princess Elizabeth.
A Clarence House spokesman said: “We do not comment on matters related to the accession. No final decisions have been made.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.