Will Edward become the Duke of Edinburgh?

[MoonlightWanderer]

It has long been speculated that Edward would inherit the Duke of Edinburgh title, but now sources are saying that Charles may not pass it on to him after all.

Has else anyone read these news reports? Apparently Charles was asking if he could use the DoE title instead.

I suspect that many titles will be handed out if/when Charles ascends to the throne. I don't know if Edward will get the DoE title or not, but I suspect he will be given a dukedom.

I also wish I had these kinds of first-world problems, but I think it is interesting from a historical perspective.

I wonder why the topic of the title of DofE is suddenly being discussed as well? It's not as though any actions can be taken about it in the near future. Perhaps testing the waters? I hope they take note of the unpopular response!

I actually think Charles is going about the slimmed down monarchy plan in the wrong way really. I think the public don't mind there being a full royal family and titles are here and there, it the slimming down of the working royals who receive public funding that matters. Charles seems to be treating it as though he needs to shut out the extended members of the family alltogether. Edward can be the DofE without being classed as a working royal and being publicly funded for example.

I've read somewhere before that Charles would prefer only the direct descendants to appear on the balcony at BP for example but I'm pretty sure the public would rather see the full family rather than a small segment of it standing alone on the big balcony.

I correct myself! It turn out that Edward and Sophie are working royals but they are not publicly funded -the Queen funds them entirely form private income.

The Wessexes are part of the 'Magnificent Seven' and I expect that team will stay in place until the Cambridge children are old enough to start duties.

Which will be another couple of decades (assuming they get a few years between graduating and starting to live a different life for a while),. By which time Prince Edwards will be in his mid-70s and could be phased out as retirement.

The Queen is the boss, can't she just give Edward the DoE title?

@SleepingStandingUp

The Queen is the boss, can't she just give Edward the DoE title?

Not without uprooting the whole idea of inherited titles.

And I can see why might not want to do that.

Once conferred, the title is passed on in accordance with the law.

I can see why she might not want to over-ride the law, thus forcing a constitutional crisis

The title is not hers to give. Prince Charles has inherited it. When he becomes king, the title merges with the crown, and then he as monarch can reassign it, because it is his to give (no other holder)

@SleepingStandingUp

The Queen is the boss, can't she just give Edward the DoE title?

I suspect she does have the power to strip Charles of the title and give it to Edward, but it would be a big deal to do so.

This story is beyond weird to me, and I'm used to watching and boggling at royal stories.

It was publicly announced at the time of Sophie and Edward's wedding, that Edward would inherit the DoE title once both of his parents are dead (he can't inherit it now as it has automatically gone to Charles as the oldest son. Once Charles becomes King, his previous titles revert to the Crown and he can then choose who gets them. This will include DoE). It seems extremely unlikely that Charles would completely disregard the specific wishes of both of his parents in this situation.

As far as I'm aware, once it goes to Edward, it would then stay in the family and James would get it. James is, technically, a prince already and an HRH but his parents choose not to use this title but rather to maintain his titles he gets as the first born son of an earl. Down the line, whether or not James accepted the HRH title, his sons would be styled simply DoE like any other Dukes who aren't part of the core royal family - Duke of Westminster etc.

The weird bit about all this is why it's come up now. Sophie and Edward seem to be chatting about it. Then there are these leaks coming from Clarence House. Has it all been stoked by the media as a result of Philip's death? Then Charles/his lackeys saw Edward making comments and got resentful and decided to leak? Or, equally possible, royal reporters like Richard Palmer and that Nikka woman from the times, went looking for people with an adverse opinion and then took these as hard fact to stoke up tension. The "source" could well be the 17th chambermaid or something.

... royal sources have been suggesting that Charles might be having second thoughts about what will be done with that title. The Sunday Times first reported the news that the family's plans might be changing, quoting a friend of Charles who said, “It is up to him what happens to the title. It will not go to Edward.” While another source confirmed, “Edinburgh won't go to [the Wessexes] as far as the prince is concerned.” But a spokesperson for Charles told People that in terms of what the royal will or won't do when he eventually takes the throne, it's still far too early to start surmising. “All stories of this nature are speculation and no final decisions have been taken,” they said. “It would be inappropriate and disrespectful to the Queen to comment on matters of accession and we will be maintaining our long-standing policy of not doing so.” Buckingham Palace also declined to comment.

This is from Vanity Fair www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/07/prince-charles-give-prince-edward-duke-of-edinburgh-title-when-he-takes-throne

I bet it is a result of Edward talking about his father and the DofE legacy. Charles has probably planned for years to not give it to Edward as part of his slimming down plan but suddenly there's Edward talking in interviews about Philip wanting him to become DofE, which may have annoyed Clarence House.

It would be churlish in the extreme for Charles not to give it to Edward, when it has been their parents' stated wish. I think Charles has grown up, and would not consider honouring HM's commitment to Edward - although I appreciate it will be his right to choose.

*not consider not honouring

grammar - sorry!

I wonder if Charles is thinking about what title Camilla would use when the Queen dies. It's easy to see why 'Duchess of Edinburgh' would be appealing (if they don't want to keep using 'Duchess of Cornwall').

I suspect 95% of the population hadn't noticed or cared that it had been signposted for Edward to become DofE

I thought that Clarence House had already indicated that Camilla will be styled the Princess Consort when Charles is King? (Similar to the Prince Consort title given to Prince Albert).

Interestingly, having looked into this now, I see that Clarence House used to state the Princess Consort intention on their website but dropped this section in 2018 and are now silent on the point. Meaning I guess that Charles hopes she’ll be able to take the title of Queen?

Frankly I think it would be very petty of C not to give E the title.

I also think it would be a poor PR move. It's not a good look to ignore your late fathers wishes.

I don't understand posters saying Archie could be titled Earl of Dumbarton - that is already one of his father, Harry's, subsidiary titles.

Interesting history of the title, Duke of Edinburgh - and it has gone extinct in the past with no holders.
royalcentral.co.uk/uk/history-of-royal-titles-the-dukedom-of-edinburgh-151912/

Agree with @Rainbunny.

I imagine be won't be conferring anything on Andrew so maybe to avoid family drams, but if they're (Wessexes) to have an increased role then it makes sense.

I came across a Mail article about this, this morning.

Let's wait and see. That scurrilous rag loves nothing more than spreading rumours and causing discord. They could be making a mountain out of a molehill.

[quote FlorrieLindley]I don't understand posters saying Archie could be titled Earl of Dumbarton - that is already one of his father, Harry's, subsidiary titles.

Interesting history of the title, Duke of Edinburgh - and it has gone extinct in the past with no holders.
royalcentral.co.uk/uk/history-of-royal-titles-the-dukedom-of-edinburgh-151912/[/quote]
It's called a courtesy title. For example, Edward is Viscount Severn, but his son uses the title as it's a lesser title than the Earl of Wessex.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesy_titles_in_the_United_Kingdom

It's all very complicated, isn't it? But, my understanding is that Edward was specifically not made a duke on marriage, so he could take on the DoE title when his parents died.

[quote FlorrieLindley]I don't understand posters saying Archie could be titled Earl of Dumbarton - that is already one of his father, Harry's, subsidiary titles.

Interesting history of the title, Duke of Edinburgh - and it has gone extinct in the past with no holders.
royalcentral.co.uk/uk/history-of-royal-titles-the-dukedom-of-edinburgh-151912/[/quote]
It’s customary for the oldest sons of a titled peer to use one of their father’s subsidiary titles as a “courtesy title”, even though it is still held by their father.

So Anthony Armstrong Jones was given the title of The Earl of Snowden and the subsidiary title Viscount Linley on his marriage to Princess Margaret. His son David used the Viscount Linley title until his father died, when he became the Earl of Snowden. His son Charles is now Viscount Linley.

The weird bit about all this is why it's come up now. Sophie and Edward seem to be chatting about it

Lady Louise turns 18 at the end of this year, so she'll be able to make her own choice about using a royal style, so perhaps they do want to get it all thrashed out this summer. Not just specifically her, but all those who will or could get a change

It's been reported in a few places not just the Mail. I think the Mail embellished the story a fair bit though.

I only know that the DofE scheme and it seems fairly sensible to give Edward the title as he does hand out the awards.

However I find it hard to put myself in the shoes of people who care about these titles.
(I think it's the intergenerational legacy of being a prole!)

Sorry, yes, subsidiary title not lesser title.