There is a reason why Prince Edward is not the Duke of Edinburgh. King Charles is sparing the role for his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte.
King Charles left the whole kingdom wondering why he withheld the title from his younger brother, Edward. Basically, he was the natural successor to the Duke of Edinburgh title after his father’s death.
King Charles Keeps The Duchess Of Edinburgh Role For Princess Charlotte To Pay Tribute To His Late Mother Queen Elizabeth
“Discussions are underway, but the favored outcome for the King is that this title ought to go to Princess Charlotte.” – an inside source told the DailyMail. “It would be a fitting way to remember the Queen – who, of course, had the title Duchess of Edinburgh – and a way for His Majesty to honor the line of succession.”
Princess Charlotte is the third in line for the succession to the throne. Only her father, Prince William, and her brother, Prince George are before her. It may come as a surprise if you are not following the royal happenings, right before Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales gave birth to her firstborn, the Royal family changed the rules for the succession to the throne.
The amendment allows a girl born to the royal couple to have the same rights as a boy. The crown changed this rule after a whole millennium. Ever since King Athelstan united the Kingdom and became the first King of all of England.
As we all know, the first child of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton is Prince George. So naturally, he is the first for the succession of the throne. However, the birth of Princess Charlotte’s younger brother, Prince Louis doesn’t push her further down the line of succession.
Looking at it, Princess Charlotte is in the same position as Princess Anne. She was the second child to Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and the late Queen Elizabeth. However, there is one key difference in this case. Princess Charlotte won’t drop down the line of succession until Prince George has children. She will remain second in line to the throne until there is a Prince or a Princess from Prince George.
“Charlotte’s position is historically significant because she is the first female member of the Royal Family whose place in the line of succession will not be surpassed by her younger brother.” – a source told the DailyMail. “So it is constitutionally significant that Charlotte should be given such a corresponding title, because it is not beyond the realms of possibility that she will accede the throne if, for example, Prince George does not have children.”
Until now, in the whole history of the British Royal family, the title of Duke of Edinburgh has been held three times in total. The first time, back in 1726, Prince Frederick received the title from his grandfather King George I. Later, Prince Frederic became the Prince of Wales as he was in a direct line of succession to the throne.
After this, in 1866, Queen Victoria gave the title to her second son, Prince Alfred. There was a break in the title for more than 80 years when in 1947 King George VI finally gave it to Prince Philip, the husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II. After Prince Phillip’s death, people thought that it is clear that Prince Edward would receive the title.
Prince Edward did not become a Duke when he married his wife Sophie. Somehow, he was excluded from the title and became the Earl of Wessex and the Earl of Forfar. It came naturally to think that Prince Edward would become the Duke of Edinburgh after the death of his parents. However, King Charles has something else in mind. While many criticize him for not giving the title to his brother, the reason behind the decision is justified. At least in King Charles’ eyes.
He would rather make Princess Charlotte the Duchess of Edinburgh. While people see this as not the righteous thing to do, King Charles has the last word on it. If he decides on something regarding the titles, there is nothing that can amend his will.
UK citizens accept this with a ‘pinch of salt’ as Prince Edward was well-preparing for taking over the title of Duke of Edinburgh. He took over the reins at the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, established by his father, the late Prince Philip. He is the chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, as well as the chairman of the international council.
However, King Charles may have a far bigger reason for doing this. It is speculated that King Charles takes on a more modern approach to the matter. His intention is to lower the number of royal members. With this move, he leaves all significant titles and royal obligations within his inside circle.
“It shows you what the King is thinking. It’s about promoting those directly in line to the throne rather than those on the edges.” – an insider from Buckingham Palace told The Daily Mail.
There is no official statement from Buckingham palace about this. Several outlets tried to contact them and even sent letters with the hope to receive an answer in written form. However, they decided to not comment on the sensitive matter.
Having Princess Charlotte in the role of Duchess of Edinburgh would essentially give a great tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth. It would be thankful to see some of her direct progeny holding her title as a Duchess of Edinburgh.
