Royal family announce who the King has officially named as the Duke of Edinburgh

Jennifer Savin
·2-min read
the men of the royal family walking behind queen elizabeth's coffin
Prince Edward named as new Duke of EdinburghPool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images

There has been a big title change announced by the Royal Family this morning, as Buckingham Palace has confirmed to the press that Prince Edward, the youngest child of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, has been named as the new Duke of Edinburgh. It's an especially poignant role, as it was one held by Prince Philip for over 70 years, after he was given the title on his wedding day to Her Majesty back in 1947.

The decision to pass the title on to Edward, who up until now has been known as the Earl of Wessex, came directly from King Charles III, and the date of the announcement is no coincidence either – the news of the new Duke of Edinburgh's appointment was made public on 10 March 2023, which is Edward's 59th birthday.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness's 59th birthday. The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness'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."

This also means that Edward's wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex , will now be known as the Duchess of Edinburgh.

The couple will be appearing in Edinburgh later today, to mark the happy occasion.

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