With Her Majesty’s unfortunate passing away on September 8, things are about to change in the Royal Family. Everyone is aware of King Charles III's wish to slim down the monarchy and with that, the question of the Queen’s favourite son's – Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex– title has come into question once again.
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No dukedom for Prince Edward?
It may be believed that Prince Andrew was the Queen’s favourite son, but a royal biographer revealed it was Prince Edward. Even Prince Philip had a special love for Prince Edward too, which could be why he wanted Prince Edward to take on his dukedom and become the Duke of Edinburgh after his death.
However, King Charles III didn’t fulfil his father’s wish and kept the Duke of Edinburgh title for himself when Prince Philip passed away. The decision to give Prince Edward Dukedom of Edinburgh now rests with King Charles, confirms Express UK.
Now that he has become the King of England, his title of Duke of Edinburgh is free to be passed to another royal couple. Although it is widely believed that both the Queen and Prince Philip preferred that the Dukedom goes to the Earl and Countess of Wessex, King Charles III will have the final say.
Why did Prince Edward become the Earl?
After his wedding to Sophie in 1999, the Prince was entitled to the title of Dukedom. He was even given an offer to be the Duke of Cambridge; however, he snubbed the title for a very unexpected reason.
He became the first son of a monarch to have become an Earl since the Tudors. And while the nation was shocked by the revelation, it was in fact, the Prince himself who asked for the title of an Earl to be named after a character in his favourite movie – Shakespeare in Love – Lord Wessex.
King Charles III earlier blocked his brother from getting the Dukedom he rightfully deserves to keep for himself, however, he now has the opportunity to fulfil his parents' wish and pass on the title to Prince Edward.
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⋙ Prince Charles refuses to grant his younger brother 'Duke of Edinburgh' title
⋙ The Queen’s funeral: Here’s why Prince Louis didn’t attend the funeral
⋙ Prince Philip broke royal tradition when Prince Edward was born