Sophie Wessex granted major title that Camilla never used

Sophie Wessex's new title has just been announced as her husband, Prince Edward, receives a new honor from his brother, King Charles III.

• Sophie has been known as the Countess of Wessex since 1999 when she married the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward.
• The royal couple has been known primarily as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, until today, March 10.
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton steps out in her favorite sturdy walking boots but the best news is that they're on sale with 30% off!

It was announced on March 10, that Prince Edward would be receiving a new title that once belonged to his father, Prince Philip. The Royal Family announced in a press release, "His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday."

"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," continued the announcement.

It was revealed that this title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime. Similarly, as the wife of Prince Edward, Sophie will hold the Duchess of Edinburgh title for the rest of her days.

While people are familiar with the Duke of Edinburgh title, the Duchess of Edinburgh hasn't been used for some time. However, the last person to hold this title was the Queen consort, Camilla, and she held the unused title very recently.

When Prince Philip died in April 2021, his Duke of Edinburgh title passed to his son, who was then known as Prince Charles. As Charles was already known as the Prince of Wales, a higher-ranking title, he did not use the Duke of Edinburgh title. Therefore it would not have made sense for his wife to use the matching Duchess of Edinburgh title, as he didn't actively use it.

Similarly, although Camilla was entitled to use the Princess of Wales title, she continued to use the name, The Duchess of Cornwall, as her husband was also known as the Duke of Cornwall. It is thought that this was because of the late Princess Diana being so closely associated with the Princess of Wales title.

This means that Camilla was holding onto two high-ranking titles but instead opted to continue using the Duchess of Cornwall title, which she had held since her marriage in 2005. This was her main title until September 2022, at which time she became the Queen consort.

Before Camilla, the Duchess of Edinburgh title was held by the late Queen Elizabeth II during her lifetime. Of course, the Duchess of Edinburgh is a lesser title than 'Her Majesty the Queen' so although she did hold this title since she was 21 years old, she did not use it and was known primarily as the Queen.

However, when she married Prince Philip at the age of 21, there were four years when she held the Duchess of Edinburgh title as her main title. Of course, people still primarily knew her as Princess Elizabeth, and she only used the title for four years until her father's death, but she was the last member of the Royal Family to actively use this title.

As Prince Edward and Sophie had a close relationship with the late Queen and Prince Philip, this draws a sweet parallel between the two royal couples as they continue the work of Prince Edward's father.