Prince Edward has received a pretty unique birthday gift as he turns 59 on March 10: His older brother the King has made him the new Duke of Edinburgh, according to their late parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wishes.
The official account for the Royal Family tweeted, "Wishing the new Duke of Edinburgh a very Happy Birthday today!
"The King has conferred the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon his brother, Prince Edward, on his 59th birthday."
Prince Philip was Duke of Edinburgh from his marriage in 1947 until his passing in 2021.
Since his wedding in 1999, Prince Edward was known as the Earl of Wessex, which is hilarious because he chose this title for the randomest reason: He just really loved Colin Firth's character in Shakespeare in Love.
While there were rumors that Princess Charlotte might be the one to inherit the Dukedom of Edinburgh instead, Prince Edward had long been expected to receive the title.
Meanwhile, Edward's wife Sophie (formerly the Countess of Wessex) is the new Duchess of Edinburgh, per Express. The last woman to hold this title was Princess Elizabeth, before she acceded to the throne in 1952.
Edward and Sophie's 15-year-old son James, formerly Viscount Severn, is the new Earl of Wessex, inheriting the title from his father.
His older sister Louise, 19, will remain known as Lady Louise Windsor.
Commenting on Prince Edward's new title on Twitter, royal reporter Rebecca English explained, "Unusually the hereditary title, previously held by Prince Philip, will only remain with him for his lifetime and on his death revert to the Crown."
That means that James won't become the new Duke of Edinburgh, unless he's created as such in the future.
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