Friday, January 23, 2026
Entertainment
5 min read

Prince Edward's Title Change Request: A Stunning Royal Revelation

Geo News
January 18, 20264 days ago
Prince Edward's request for title change emerges in stunning revelation

AI-Generated Summary
Auto-generated

Prince Edward requested the title Earl of Wessex from Queen Elizabeth II, inspired by the film *Shakespeare in Love*. This request altered the original plan where he was slated to become Duke of Cambridge. Had the initial plan proceeded, Kate Middleton would have retained the Duchess of Cambridge title for a longer period.

Prince William and Kate Middleton hold a special friendship with Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, and they have grown closer over time, especially after Prince Harry and Meghan left their senior royal positions in 2020. One key element that unites the two royal couples is their loyalty to the monarchy and the dedication they have for the service. And while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been obedient working members in King Charles’s reign, there was one request that Edward made which surprised many. Following his ascension, Charles bestowed Edward with the title ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ which was previously held by their father Prince Philip. Before that, Edward was known as the Earl of Wessex and Sophie as the Countess of Wessex. A royal courtier revealed that Edward had requested his mother, Queen Elizabeth for this title, otherwise he was supposed to receive Prince William’s title, Duke of Cambridge. William and Kate were made Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by the late Queen after the couple’s wedding in 2011. Meanwhile, when Edward married Sophie in 1999, he was not awarded a dukedom. “Prince Edward was going to be the Duke of Cambridge, but he watched the film Shakespeare in Love, which had a character called the Earl of Wessex,” the courtier told The Telegraph in 2010. “He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead.” If thr original plan had gone ahead, Sophie would have been the Duchess of Cambridge – a title that Kate had held for more than a decade.

Rate this article

Login to rate this article

Comments

Please login to comment

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
    Prince Edward Title Change Request: Royal Revelation