The Duchess of Edinburgh! Prince Edward’s wife Sophie earns new title

The King has conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his youngest brother to mark his 59th birthday today.

This raise in royal status for Sophie, 58, is a touching tribute to the late Queen’s daughter-in-law who lovingly called her ‘mama’.

It is believed that she was viewed by the late Queen as The Firm’s safest pair of hands, because her marriage to Prince Edward has lasted, while she was also hailed as the royal family’s ‘secret weapon’ during Megxit in 2020. 

Queen Elizabeth II’s title of Duchess of Edinburgh passing to Sophie gives her a front-and-centre role as one of a reduced number of working royals, as King Charles begins to slim down the monarchy. 

Sophie, who was the Countess of Wessex, has now been elevated to become Duchess of Edinburgh – as it’s been announced her husband Prince Edward has taken his late father’s title as Duke of Edinburgh

This raise in royal status for Sophie, 58, is a touching tribute to the late Queen’s daughter-in-law who lovingly called her ‘mama’

The King has conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his youngest brother to mark his 59th birthday today – making Sophie the Duchess 

Sophie’s previous rank as Countess of Wessex, meant she was of an equal rank with her husband Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. 

However their new titles of Duke and Duchess are of a higher rank, elevating them in status to just below the monarch. 

Duchesses are also referred to as Her Royal Highness.

Meanwhile the title of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh is one of the most senior in the Royal Family. 

The move is a touching and lasting connection between the late Queen and her much-loved daughter-in-law, Sophie. 

She was noted as the late monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member and closest confidante.

Experts previously noted the Countess being in the spotlight is what Prince Philip ‘would have wanted’ and helped to ‘keep his memory alive.’

At a service for her mother-in-law near Balmoral the Countess of Wessex was seen teary-eyed while kneeling to admire tributes – showing the depth of their relationship which had progressed to the point where the she was said to be treated as a ‘second daughter’ by the Queen.

The Queen cared for Sophie in 2005 after her mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, 77, died from stomach cancer in 2005.

As Prince Edward’s and Sophie’s house, Bagshot Park, is only a short trip from Windsor it meant the Queen’s youngest son and his family to regularly visit.

Sophie, pictured yesterday visited the Countryside Education Trust, has long been viewed as a safe pair of hands in the royal family 

The move is a touching and lasting connection between the late Queen and her much-loved daughter-in-law, Sophie 

Experts previously noted the Countess being in the spotlight is what Prince Philip ‘would have wanted’ and helped to ‘keep his memory alive’

Sophie is viewed by some as The Firm’s safest pair of hands, while she was also hailed as the royal family’s ‘secret weapon’ during Megxit in 2020 

Walking their dogs together was a favourite past-time of the pair. They also shared a love of military history, spending hours poring over ancient documents in the Royal Archives at Windsor, where Sophie and her mother-in-law indulged in their shared hobby, researching military history.

Even if she was unable to see the Queen in person – Sophie would always make sure to call ‘mama’ every day – and she was the first royal to speak about Prince Philip’s death.

And in 2021, a tearful Countess described the queen as ‘amazing’ as she and her husband Prince Edward comforted Her Majesty at Windsor Castle following the death of her husband Prince Philip. 

Along with Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne, Sophie is just one of few female senior royals who will be guiding the Crown into its next era.

The PR guru from Oxford has won plaudits for her choice of work on preventable blindness and the issue of sexual violence in war, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.

Sophie, who was brought up in Kent by a tyre company executive father and a secretary mother, is now patron to over 70 different organisations.  

She has also become a source of advice for the new Princess of Wales, who sees that Sophie admires the way she balances her royal duties with motherhood.

Writing for Town & Country in 2020, royal journalist and author Victoria Murphy told how Sophie had become a stalwart member of the royal family thanks to her down to earth nature and quietly assured approach to her royal duties.

‘Her work does not regularly receive the kind of media attention that the younger royals command, but Sophie has become a stalwart member of the “firm”,’ Murphy wrote, adding: ‘The spotlight on Sophie has intensified in the vacuum left as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step back.’

 Along with Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne, Sophie is just one of few female senior royals who will be guiding the Crown into its next era

One former aide described the Queen’s relationship with Sophie – who lost her own mother, Mary, in 2005 – as ‘like mother and daughter’ (pictured together in February 2015 at a reception at Buckingham Palace) 

The mother-of-two has long been hailed the ‘secret weapon’ of the royal family, and is ‘down to earth’ (pictured, with Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn)

The couple were the first to visit the grieving Monarch after the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, and as they left the castle Sophie was visibly upset

Meanwhile people who had worked with the royal on a professional level told Murphy that they admired her ability to say what she thinks while still remaining polite.

Amanda Pullinger, CEO of 100 Women in Finance, insisted Sophie ‘really is down to earth’. She said: ‘She actually presents herself as an ordinary person and I think that is increasingly what the royal family needs to do.

‘It’s interesting—she’s not nicey nicey. Of course she’s polite, but she’ll tell you what she thinks. If she disagrees she’ll say, and she’s done it to me a number of times.’

However her current royal reputation is a far cry from the turmoil that followed the countess early on in her marriage, when she was still running her own public relations consultancy.

A ‘royals for hire’ storm was sparked after she posed beside a Rover 75 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, having secured a £250,000 contract to publicise it.

But Sophie’s determination saw her take on full-time royal duties, and embrace rural pursuits beloved by the royals, such as riding, fishing, shooting game and carriage driving. 

Now, in her first appearance as the Duchess of Edinburgh, she will join her husband Prince Edward in the city later today as they attend a reception to mark the first year of the conflict in Ukraine. 

Unusually the title of Duke of Edinburgh, which was previously held by Edward’s father, Prince Philip, will only remain with him for his lifetime and on his death revert to the Crown. 

Their son James, Viscount Severn, 15, will from today be known as Earl of Wessex – his father’s previous title. 

Under the ancient rules of primogeniture, none of the changes will affect the couple’s student daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, however. 

Sophie was often been noted as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member and closest confidante, after she married Prince Edward (pictured together at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2022)

Sophie and Edward have particularly stepped up since Harry and Meghan’s acrimonious departure in 2019  

The ancient and prestigious title of Duke of Edinburgh was given to Prince Philip by King George VI in 1947 when he married Queen Elizabeth. 

Edward was exceptionally close to his father and his later years took on much of his work with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.

When he and Sophie married in 1999 it was announced that the dukedom would pass to Edward after Philip’s death.

That was two years ago, however, and there has been much to-ing and fro-ing behind the scenes on the issue ever since.

The issue for Buckingham Palace was that Edward is now 13th in line to the throne and will only slide further down the order of succession over the years when the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children grow up and go on to have families of their own.

There was concern that the most senior titles associated with a nation of the United Kingdom would be passed on to an ever more junior branch of the family line.

So when Philip died in April 2021, Buckingham Palace announced that the title had reverted to the monarch – and that continued to be the case when Queen Elizabeth died last September.

The Buckingham Palace website has been updated this morning to list Prince Edward as ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’ in the order of succession. He is 13th in line to the throne

King Charles, then Prince Charles, with Prince Edward at Ascot Racecourse on June 15, 2021 

At one point courtiers discussed the King keeping the title permanently but many felt that it would be wrong not to honour Prince Philip’s wishes and thank Edward for the ceaseless work he has done on behalf of the monarchy in recent years.

He and his wife have particularly stepped up since Harry and Meghan’s acrimonious departure in 2019.

There were reports that the King was also considering granting the title of Duchess of Edinburgh to his sister Princess Anne, or his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. 

The Mail understands that after Edward’s eventual death that the Duke of Edinburgh title will most likely be given to one of William and Kate’s children, most likely Prince Louis, when they are older.

Sources stressed that the timing of the announcement had nothing to do with developments this week regarding the titles of Harry and Meghan’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as such announcements are normally made on a member of the Royal Family’s birthday.

This is indeed true, although it is likely that the issue of the Sussex children had to be sorted first so as not to offend the notoriously prickly duke and duchess.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said today: ‘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 title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’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.’

Like other members of the Royal Family, Edward had a number of titles conferred on him when he married. His other Scottish title is the Earl of Forfar.

He will remain Earl of Forfar, although will use his more senior title of Edinburgh.

His son James will become The Earl of Wessex and Forfar when Edward dies and the now non hereditary title of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown again.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said today: ‘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 title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’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.’