King Charles III granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh to Prince Edward, his youngest brother, on his 59th birthday. Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday: “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 for his lifetime. It does not come with any land or income. Prince Edward becomes the Duke of Edinburgh almost two years after the death of his father, Philip, who held the title for more than 70 years. Edward, 13th in line of succession to the throne, will attend the coronation in May as a duke. At the end of last year, Parliament fast-tracked a change in law to add Prince Edward and his sister Princess Anne to the “counsellors of state” who can act on behalf of the King. Prince Edward’s former title of Earl of Wessex will now go to his son, the 15-year-old Viscount Severn.
Sophie, the wife of Prince Edward, the former Countess of Wessex, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh.
