Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Royal Consort to Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years, sadly passed away yesterday (April 9), at the age of 99.
As the Kingdom starts a period of mourning and the funeral arrangements begin, thoughts have already turned to what happens next for the Royal Family, and that includes his prestigious title, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip was awarded the title in 1947 when he married Princess Elizabeth. He was subsequently made a prince in 1957 by his wife after she had ascended to the throne.
Despite being married to a Queen, he was never referred to as King because he married into the Windsor family and was not a blood relative.
The Dukedom is named after the Scottish capital city, Edinburgh, and was first created way back in 1726, when King George I bestowed it on his grandson Prince Frederick. With the title comes the presidency, patronage, and membership of nearly 800 organizations.
Prince Edward will be the new Duke of Edinburgh
It’s thought that the Duke of Edinburgh title will pass to Philip and Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. It was announced in 1999 when the 57-year-old married Sophie Rhys-Jones that he would be the next Duke of Edinburgh.
Edward is the only one of the Queen’s sons not to have a Dukedom; Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall, and Prince Andrew is the Duke of York, a title usually reserved for the second son of the Monarch.
They both received their Dukedoms on their wedding days. As an Earl, Edward currently ranks below his elder brothers. His sister, Princess Anne, is known as The Princess Royal.
So, Prince Edward is set to become the Duke of Edinburgh, but there is a small catch. He won’t inherit straightaway; he has to wait a bit longer. He will have to wait until Prince Charles becomes King before he’ll receive the honor.
This is because, as the eldest son, Charles automatically, and technically, inherits the title from his father. But once he’s King, he can pass it on to Edward as planned.
On the news of his father’s death, the Earl of Wessex spoke about Philip and the Queen’s relationship in an interview yesterday: “My parents have been such a fantastic support to each other during all those years and all those events and all those tours and events overseas.”
“To have someone that you confide in and smile about things that you perhaps could not in public. To be able to share that is immensely important,” Prince Edward added.
Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to Prince Philip
This morning the Royal Family official Twitter account posted a quote from Elizabeth II made in tribute to her husband in 1997.
Her Majesty said: “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
Rest in peace, Prince Philip.