It was announced on 10 March – his 59th birthday – that Edward was being bestowed with the Duke of Edinburgh title from his older brother, King Charles.
That meant, in turn, that wife Sophie became the new Duchess of Edinburgh, with the couple’s son James taking over his father’s former title as Earl of Wessex.
Does that mean that, in time, 15-year-old James will one day also inherit the Duke of Edinburgh title?
While the Earl of Wessex is a hereditary title, the Duke of Edinburgh is not. As such, at the time of his passing, Edward’s role will not be passed on to his children. Instead, it will revert back to the Crown.
It’s likely that it will be given out to another senior royal at that point, but given his relatively low profile, that is unlikely to be James.
Sophie and Edward have worked hard to give their two children as normal an upbringing as possible.
It’s normal protocol for the children of male descendants of the monarch to automatically get a royal title – such as Prince Andrew’s children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
However, just like Princess Anne, Sophie and Edward decided against it for Louise and James.
Sophie previously explained to The Sunday Times: “We try to bring them up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living.
“Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but it’s highly unlikely.”
