Follow the title ball at Buckingham: Prince Edward becomes Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Edward with his father, Philip of Edinburgh, at Buckingham Palace, London, on March 13, 2017. John Stillwell (PA / Cordon Press)

The line of succession of the British royal family has undergone major changes in the last week.

The changes to the titles of the members of the institution began on Wednesday, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle referred to their daughter Lilibet as princess.

Hours later, on Thursday, this change in status was confirmed on the official website of the crown.

Now, on Friday, it was the turn of Prince Edward, younger brother of King Carlos III.

Until now, he held the titles Earl of Wessex and Forfar, which has been changed to Duke of Edinburgh.

The prestigious title of Duke of Edinburgh was bestowed on Prince Philip — Edward's father — by King George VI when he married his daughter, Princess and later Queen Elizabeth in 1947. But after Philip's death in April 2021 and of the monarch in 2022, and with the imminent coronation of Carlos as king, the title dance has already begun.

It was public knowledge that Prince Philip wanted the Earl of Wessex to inherit the title.

An acknowledgment that has taken six months to arrive, but that the king has made coincide with the birthday of his brother and also with his visit to Edinburgh, on the afternoon of this same Friday.

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The change in the title has already been updated on the official page of the palace.

Edward's wife of 24 years, Sofia, Countess of Wessex, immediately becomes Duchess of Edinburgh.

In the case of the children that the marriage has had, there will also be certain modifications.

The little one, James, until now Viscount Severn, aged 15, becomes the new Earl of Wessex, a kind of replacement for his father, who leaves behind a title that is already minor for him.

On the other hand, his eldest daughter, Lady Luisa Windsor, 19, will not undergo any change.

“His Majesty the King is pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh on Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness' 59th birthday.

The title will be held by Prince Edward throughout his life, ”explains the statement issued by the palace.

Therefore, the title is not hereditary: when Eduardo dies, it will be vacant again and will be returned to the crown.

“The dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, following 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 in the legacy of Prince Philip, to promote opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential," the statement continued.

🎉 Wishing the new Duke of Edinburgh a very Happy Birthday today!

The King has conferred the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon his brother, Prince Edward, on his 59th birthday.

🔗https://t.co/Yxe8lDc3pe pic.twitter.com/EGQcqrTcKx

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 10, 2023

In the last years of Philip of Edinburgh's life, Eduardo was very close to his father, and even came to assume a large part of the work for the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh awards, to which the last part of that statement refers.

Since Eduardo and Sofía got married, in June 1999, it was assumed that the dukedom would pass to them after Felipe's death.

In April it will be two years since the death of Elizabeth II's husband and, then, the title immediately passed to her eldest son.

But when he became monarch, he was returned to the crown.

The decision has taken a few months to arrive because, apparently, Carlos III did not want to grant this important recognition to his little brother.

Since his mother's death, Edward has risen to third in line to the throne and is now 13th;

Predictably, he will continue to drop positions as those who overtake him (especially the children of Guillermo and Enrique) grow up and have their own families.

From top to bottom and left to right, Princess Anne, King Charles III, Prince Andrew, Philip of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and Elizabeth II, in Frogmore Gardens, Windsor, on April 21, 1968. PA (PA / Cordon Press)

The Wessex marriage has repeatedly spoken about the inheritance of this title.

One of them was in an interview with the British newspaper

in June 2021. The countess recalled the moment when her father-in-law asked them both if they were willing to receive the dukedom: “We felt a bit stunned.

She literally came to us and said, 'I'd really like you to consider it.'

Eduardo acknowledged living a bittersweet moment after the proposal: "The only way the title could come to me is after my parents passed away."

In fact, the title would have to have been inherited by Andrew, the Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth's third son and older than Edward: "My father was very interested in the title continuing, but he did not move fast enough with Andrew, for which eventually had the conversation with us.

It was a lovely idea;

a lovely thought.”

In recent years, the figure of Andrés has lost a lot of weight within the British royal family due to his scandalous friendship with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the accusations by Virginia Giuffre, who states that, when she was 17 years old, Andrés abused her.

All this has made him have to renounce his public functions and, a year ago, all his royal patronages and military titles were withdrawn.

In this new stage, Carlos III is also removing him from the agenda and from all representation.

Therefore, it would have been nonsense to grant him recognition of this caliber.

All this has made him have to renounce his public functions and, a year ago, all his royal patronages and military titles were withdrawn.

In this new stage, Carlos III is also removing him from the agenda and from all representation.

Therefore, it would have been nonsense to grant him recognition of this caliber.

All this has made him have to renounce his public functions and, a year ago, all his royal patronages and military titles were withdrawn.

In this new stage, Carlos III is also removing him from the agenda and from all representation.

Therefore, it would have been nonsense to grant him recognition of this caliber.

Sources close to the palace, as explained by the British tabloid

, have assured that this announcement has nothing to do with the recent events this week regarding the appointment of Archie and Lilibet, the children of the Dukes of Sussex, Enrique and Meghan Markle, as prince and princess.

As is the tradition within the royal family, appointments are made on the birthday.

In addition, they understand that after the death of Eduardo, the title will pass to one of the sons of the princes of Wales, and most likely it will be the little one, Luis de Cambridge.

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