Royal Family News
King Charles Refuses to Give Prince Edward the Duke of Edinburgh Title
Prince Edward, the youngest sibling of King Charles, will not be given the Duke of Edinburgh title, despite it being promised to him by his late parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
According to the Daily Mail, King Charles has decided to undertake a major overhaul of the royal titles, which includes going against the promise made to his brother.
The promise was given to Edward and his wife, Sophie Wessex, as their wedding present in June 1999, and at the time, Charles agreed with the decision.
However, following the death of Prince Philip last year, the title moved to Charles, who is now the King.
It appears that he is not keen on the idea of giving Edward the title and is instead looking to slim down the monarchy.
A palace source told the Daily Mail that it wouldn't make sense to make the Earl the Duke of Edinburgh, as it is a hereditary title that would then be passed on to Edward's son, James, Vice Count Severn.
Trending:
This is a significant change from 1999 when Edward got married, and Charles was happy for him to inherit his father's title.
Buckingham Palace released a statement at the time, saying that The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales had agreed that Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course when the present title held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.
Edward has previously stated that the final decision remains with Charles, telling the BBC, “It will depend on whether or not the Prince of Wales, when he becomes King, whether he'll do that, so we'll wait and see.
So yes, it will be quite a challenge taking that on.”
The news follows reports that King Charles has asked Prince Edward and Princess Anne to fill in for him at important events when he cannot be present.
The Sun reported earlier this week that the King has appointed his brother and sister to the position of Councillor of State, which means they would assume responsibility for Charles' constitutional obligations in his absence.
Despite rumours that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were set to be stripped of their roles as Councillors of State, they have retained their status.
Charles wrote to the House of Lords, stating that he would be most content if Parliament saw fit to increase the number of people who may have been called upon to act as Councillors of State under the terms of the Regency Act 1937 to 1963 to include his sister and brother, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex and Fawfar, both of whom have previously undertaken this role.
Previously, it was said that the King was considering amending the law to limit the authority of Councillors of State to working members of the Royal Family.
However, despite the fact that Harry and Andrew no longer actively perform royal duties, they continue to hold the position.
In conclusion, King Charles has refused to give Prince Edward the Duke of Edinburgh title, going against the promise made by his late parents.
Instead, he is looking to slim down the monarchy and has appointed his brother and sister to the position of Councillor of State to fill in for him at important events.
Despite rumours that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were set to be stripped of their roles, they have retained their status.