Prince Edward and Countess Sophie have new royal titles

For a non-royal person you might expect socks for your 59th birthday, maybe a nice dinner out somewhere if you’re really lucky, but if you’re a prince, your family gifts you with a whole new royal title.

Prince Edward has been spoilt for his birthday this year, as his older brother, King Charles, gifted his youngest sibling the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

Buckingham Palace made the announcement over the weekend that Edward is now the Duke of Edinburgh, a title his late father, Prince Philip, held for most of his life.

“The dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952,” the statement from the British royal family stated.

“The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”

The title change for Edward effectively makes his wife, Countess Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Whilst the beloved senior royals have two children, only their son James, Viscount Severn, gets a new title, becoming the Earl of Wessex.

The ‘snub’ of 19-year-old Lady Louise Windsor is due to a since-updated royal protocol, that did state that a courtesy title can only be used by the peer’s eldest living son, but other descendants, are not permitted to use the peer’s subsidiary titles.

This royal tradition has now been re-written, as the late Queen took action when Prince William and Princess Catherine’s first born, Prince George was born in 2013.

Queen Elizabeth issued a Letters Patent to update the Succession of the Crown Act, which scrapped discriminatory royal laws that meant sons took precedence over daughters in the line of succession.

But as Louise was born in 2003 to the daughter of an earl, which was prior to the update of the act, she’s styled as “Lady Louise Windsor”.

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