King Charles recently changed the British Royal Family titles a bit. Apart from giving the Prince and Princess titles to Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, Prince Edward also got his father’s wish to take on the Dukedom of Edinburgh.
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The new Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward ascended to the Duchy of Edinburgh after King Charles’ recent announcement of title shifts. Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex has now become the Duchess of Edinburgh. The news came out on Prince Edward’s 59th birthday and two years after the death of Prince Philip.
According to Express.co.uk, Prince Edward has become the second holder of the Duchy after the Dukedom was created in 1947, especially for Prince Philip. Buckingham Palace said:
His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday.
The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.
Prince Edward and Sophie’s journey in the Royal Family hasn’t always been this smooth sailing.
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Sophie’s rise in the Royal Family
While Sophie may have become the Duchess of Edinburgh now, she was slid under the radar for the longest. According to The Independent, Prince Edward and Sophie also had a ‘low-key wedding’ because of a now-almost-forgotten scandal Sophie naively got involved in the early days of her life in the Royal Family.
Initially, the couple also pursued their own career apart from supporting Queen Elizabeth II. Sophie was in the PR world and had her own company R-JH. Two years into their marriage, in 1999, Sophie found herself in a scandal with reporter Mazher Mahmood. Mahmood posed as a Sheikh who was interested in doing business with Sophie’s firm.
The undercover reporter cleverly recorded her ‘candid thoughts’ on other Royal Family members, Tony and Cherie Blair and other senior politicians. Meanwhile, Sophie’s business partner - Murray Harkin - was seen selling her Royal connection to gain more business. Reportedly, Murray also said derogatory things about Prince Edward when Sophie was not around. As soon as the scandal hit the media, Sophie was left utterly embarrassed and eventually left her career behind to become a ‘subtle’ part of the Royal Family.
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Sources used
Express.co.uk: Sophie becomes Duchess of Edinburgh as Charles promotes Royal Family's 'secret weapon'
The Independent: From scandal to senior royals: How Sophie and Edward became royal favourites
