LONDON – King Charles III has made his youngest brother the Duke of Edinburgh, passing on a title held by their late father, Prince Philip.
Buckingham Palace said the title was conferred on Prince Edward on Friday, his 59th birthday.
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Edward is the youngest of the four children of Philip and the late Queen Elizabeth II. His wife Sophie will now be known as the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their 15-year-old son James becomes Earl of Wessex, the title Edward previously held.
Prince Philip was made Duke of Edinburgh when he married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and he held the title until his death in 2021 at the age of 99. It had been Philip’s wish that Edward should get the dukedom after he and the queen had both died. Elizabeth died in September at age 96.
One of Philip’s legacies is the Duke of Edinburgh awards, a popular youth activities program set up in 1956.
The palace said that “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 announcement comes after another title change this week when Prince Harry and Meghan began officially using the titles Prince and Princess for their children Archie and Lilibet.