The Queen has given Prince William a new royal role in a tradition that goes back centuries, the Government has confirmed.
- Prince William has been given a new title by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II
- The title has previously been held by Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew
- In other royal news, ITV could air the remaining unseen footage from Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview
On Monday, it was announced that The Duke of Cambridge is now Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
A Government press release says, ‘The Lord High Commissioner is the Sovereign’s personal representative to the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He attends the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on behalf of the Sovereign. He makes the opening and closing addresses to the Assembly and carries out a number of official functions as the Lord High Commissioner.’
The release also notes that Prince William was appointed Lord High Commissioner in 2020, but the General Assembly was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to HELLO! the role dates back to the 16th century and has previously been held by all four of the Queen's children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne (who has held the role twice), Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.
In Scotland, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s titles are the Earl and Countess of Strathearn, while the Sussexes are the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton. Meanwhile, Prince Charles and Camilla hold the Scottish titles the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
This news comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have clarified statements about their secret wedding after a Royal official claimed they didn't get married three days before the royal wedding.
During the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month, Meghan said, “Three days before our wedding, we got married. No one knows that. We called the Archbishop and we just said, look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world.
“But we want our union between us, so the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Last week presenter Gayle King, who is friends with the couple, said that Prince Harry has spoken with both Prince Charles and William but talks were “not productive”.
