Earlier today, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. His titles now automatically pass to his heir, but who is that?
On 19 November 1947, the day before his wedding to Princess Elizabeth, his father-in-law King George VI bestowed by Letters Patent the style His Royal Highness on Philip, and on the morning of the wedding, 20 November 1947, further Letters Patent of that day created him Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London. As was usual, the titles were in remainder to the 1st Duke’s heirs male of the body lawfully begotten. That means that his eldest son Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, has become the new Duke of Edinburgh.
However, you may remember that it was announced upon the marriage of his younger son Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones that “The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have also agreed that The Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.” Once Her Majesty The Queen passes and Prince Charles succeeds her as King, his titles, including the Duke of Edinburgh title, will merge with the crown. He will then be free to create the title again for his brother, who then becomes The Duke of Edinburgh at last.
