The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have arrived in the city for their first official engagement since being handed their new royal titles.
King Charles handed his younger brother Prince Edward their late father's title to mark his 59th birthday. Edward's wife Sophie becomes the Duchess of Edinburgh. The late Queen and Prince Philip both wanted Edward to take on the title, however Charles has waited six months to hand it over.
The change also means the couple's 15-year-old son James, Viscount Severn has become the new Earl of Wessex. However their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, four years older, doesn't see a change to her title.
Edward and Sophie are using their first trip to the city to attend a reception to mark the first year of the conflict in Ukraine.
Announcing the news this morning, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon the Prince Edward, on the occasion of HRH’s 59th birthday today.
“The title will be held for HRH’s lifetime.
“The dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952.
“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 new titles came just a few days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their children Archie and Lilibet will use the titles Prince and Princess.
Edward will be the Duke of Edinburgh for the rest of his life, however it will no longer be a hereditary role. This means it won't be passed down to James when he passes away.
This could mean the title could be passed to one of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children in the future, with Prince Louis the most likely candidate.
Edward is the fifth Duke of Edinburgh. The title was first created for Prince Frederick, eldest son of King George II back in 1726.
In 1764, it was given to Prince William, brother of King George III, as part of the joint title The Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh. Up next was Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, who took it in 1866. And of course most recently it was handed to Prince Philip when he married the late Queen Elizabeth II.
