Will Charles stop Edward being Duke of Edinburgh?
THE Earl of Wessex could be denied the chance to become the Duke of Edinburgh, it was claimed yesterday.
Prince Charles – who inherited the title on his father’s death – is reportedly reconsidering an agreement that it should pass to his youngest brother when he becomes king.
A source told the Sunday Times: ‘The prince [Charles] is the Duke of Edinburgh as it stands, and it is up to him what happens to the title. It will not go to Edward.’
Edward, 57, is the only one of the Queen’s three sons who has not been made a duke. Charles is the Duke of Cornwall and Andrew is Duke of York.
The Queen made Edward the Earl of Wessex when he married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999 with the promise that he would become Duke of Edinburgh after the death of his father, once Charles ascends to the throne.
His route to the dukedom was agreed by the Queen, Philip and Charles.
In an official statement on Edward’s wedding day, Buckingham Palace said: ‘The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have also agreed that Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title held now by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.’
Charles, 72, reportedly sought advice on whether he should start using the Edinburgh title after the death of his father.
He is known as the Duke of Cornwall when he is in England and as the Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland.
He was reportedly advised to continue using the Rothesay title, as it is senior to the Edinburgh dukedom.
But sources claimed he was still reluctant to hand the Edinburgh dukedom to his youngest brother.
A second source told the Sunday Times: ‘Edinburgh won’t go to them [the Wessexes] as far as the prince is concerned.’
The Countess of Wessex said Philip had personally requested that her husband take the title. She told the Daily Telegraph last month: ‘He literally came straight in and said, “Right. I’d like it very much if you would consider that”.’
Edward has taken on several of his late father’s patronages and has become trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, founded by Philip in 1956 to help young people develop life and work skills.
Last night a Clarence House spokesman said: ‘All stories of this nature are speculation and no final decisions have been taken. It would be inappropriate and disrespectful to The Queen to comment on matters of Accession and we will be maintaining our long-standing policy of not doing so.’