King Charles has given the title of Duke of Edinburgh to his brother Prince Edward, honouring the late Queen and Prince Philip’s wishes.
Charles conferred the title on the former Earl of Wessex to coincide with Edward’s 59th birthday on Friday. Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh and their 15-year-old son James, Viscount Severn is the new Earl of Wessex.
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 will continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.
But who is the new Duke of Edinburgh?
Who is Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh?
Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, were created the Earl and Countess of Wessex when they married in 1999 but they will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Prince Edward is only the fifth member of the royal family for whom the role has been created since 1726.
He was born on March 10, 1964. At the time of his birth, he was third in line to the throne, behind his two older brothers, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, but before his older sister Princess Anne. After the Queen’s death last year, he was 14th in the order of succession.
Following news that the Queen was not in good health, he and his wife travelled straightaway to Balmoral to be by her side.
On Edward’s wedding day in 1999, he was given the title of Earl of Wessex after marrying Sophie Rhys-Jones in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The couple have two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, now the Earl of Wessex.
In March 2018, he was given the title of Earl of Forfar to use in Scotland as a birthday gift from his mother.
According to the royal family's website: “The Duke of Edinburgh dedicates much of his time as a full-time working member of the Royal Family to championing young people and promoting the benefits of non-formal education across the world.”
