Prince Edward has been appointed the new Duke of Edinburgh, according to Buckingham Palace.
King Charles III gave the prince the title for life on his 59th birthday.
Prince Philip, who died in 2021, was the former Duke of Edinburgh. He was granted the title on the morning of his wedding to Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth II.
Sophie, the new Duke, and Duchess of Edinburgh will arrive in Edinburgh shortly.
The couple is expected to visit a Scottish capital event commemorating the first year of the Ukraine conflict on Friday.
Prince Edward replaces his father, Philip, as Duke of Edinburgh nearly two years after his death.
It was believed that Philip intended his youngest son, Edward, to inherit the throne. But the decision was left up to King Charles.
Edward, the thirteenth in line for the crown, will attend the coronation in May as a duke, like his father.
With Prince Andrew, Duke of York, no longer a “working royal,” Edward, the King’s youngest brother, could play a more prominent role.
At the end of last year, Parliament expedited a change in the law to add Prince Edward and his sister Princess Anne to the list of “counselors of state” who can act on behalf of the King if he is unwell or abroad.
In his earlier career, Prince Edward worked in theatre and television production. But as he grew older, he shifted his focus to public duties, including assuming several of Prince Philip’s responsibilities.
This included supporting the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, founded by Prince Philip in 1956, which provide activities and training programs for young people in the United Kingdom and abroad.
When Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, Buckingham Palace announced that he would become Duke of Edinburgh “in due course.”
Although it is a prestigious title, it does not include any land or income.
The title of Duke of Edinburgh will not be hereditary. So it will not pass to Edward’s offspring when he dies. But rather to a senior member of the future Royal Family.
Prince Edward’s son, Viscount Severn, who is 15 years old, will now hold the title of Earl of Wessex.
“His Majesty The King has been delighted to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’ 59th birthday,” stated Buckingham Palace in a statement.
“Prince Edward will hold the title for the duration of His Royal Highness’s existence.
The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. Who was known as the Duchess of Edinburgh before she acceded to the throne in 1952.
“The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to carry on Prince Philip’s legacy of encouraging young people from all backgrounds to realize their utmost potential.”
In 1726, the Hanoverian monarch George I bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh upon his grandson, Prince Frederick. Queen Victoria made the title in 1866 for her second son, Prince Alfred, and again in 1947 for Prince Philip.
