The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary, with new details emerging about their royal titles. The couple, often praised as the Royal Family's secret weapons, married at St George's Chapel on June 19, 1999, and were known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex until 2023.
A Surprising Title Choice
Prince Edward met Sophie Rhys-Jones at a charity event at the Queen's Tennis Club in London, and they announced their engagement on January 6, 1999. Before the wedding, it was revealed they would receive an Earldom instead of a traditional Dukedom, surprising the public who expected a Dukedom like Edward's elder brothers.
It later emerged that Queen Elizabeth II had offered Edward the Dukedom of Cambridge, the title later given to Prince William and Catherine in 2011. Edward refused for an unexpected reason: he preferred the Earldom of Wessex, inspired by Colin Firth's character Lord Wessex in his favorite film, Shakespeare in Love.
A royal insider told the Telegraph in 2010: “He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead.”
The Duke of Edinburgh Title
The Royal Family intended for Edward to become Duke of Edinburgh after his father's death and his brother's accession. This came true in March 2023 on Edward's 59th birthday. Sophie recalled Prince Philip telling them the news: “We sat there slightly stunned. He literally came straight in and said, ‘Right. I’d like it very much if you would consider that’.”
The Duke of Edinburgh title was inherited by King Charles upon Prince Philip's death and merged with the crown when Charles became king in 2022. In 2023, King Charles announced Edward and Sophie would take on the titles, but with a twist: the title is not hereditary, meaning it will return to the crown after Edward's death, rather than passing to their son, James, Earl of Wessex.
