Prince Edward was supposed to be honoured with a major title…

There is a very unusual story behind Prince Edward’s title. Prince Edward, who wed Sophie Rhys-Jones 26 years ago on June 19, was supposed to be given a special title after his nuptials.

However, he reportedly rejected the opportunity. Here is seemingly why…
Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward wed in 1999 (Credit: Carsten Rehder/picture-alliance/Cover Images)

Why Prince Edward ‘turned down royal title’

Before Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their dukedom was reportedly nearly given to another couple – Edward and Sophie.

Edward, who is now the Duke of Edinburgh, pushed back against a very old tradition.

The tradition in question was where royal sons would be given a dukedom on their wedding day.

The youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had been struck by inspiration. Inspiration that would change royal history.

Reports at the time speculated that the late queen had intended to grant Edward and Sophie the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Ahead of Prince William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton, a royal source shed light on Prince Edward’s decision.

Prince Edward could have missed out on a dukedom (Credit: Cover Images)

Why was Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex?

They alleged to the Telegraph: “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.

“He liked the sound of it and asked The Queen if he could have that instead.”

Not only was this a very unusual request as it was inspired by a movie and was clearly fuelled by Prince Edward’s love of acting, but it was a significantly lower-ranked title.

The title of Earl falls under both a duke and a marquess.

As the highest available title, other than prince or king, royal sons including Prince William and Prince Harry have received dukedoms as their wedding gifts.

Many royal observers weren’t impressed by Edward’s shift away from tradition. However, it was also acknowledged that due to Edward’s love of theatre and acting, his inspiration very much suited his approach to royal life.

Previously dubbed as “Prince Brat”, Prince Edward has undergone a huge transformation and has since been recognised for his loyalty and dedication to the crown with a gesture from King Charles.

On his 59th birthday, Edward was given his dukedom, becoming the Duke of Edinburgh, a title once held by his late father, Prince Philip. Because of this, Sophie obviously became the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Sophie became the Duchess of Edinburgh when Edward’s dukedom was bestowed upon him (Credit: Cover Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s wedding

On June 19, 1999, Edward and Sophie wed at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Their ceremony was a low-key affair in comparison to other royal weddings, with a guest-list of 500. Edward was given his chosen title, the Earl of Wessex, with Sophie becoming the Countess of Wessex.

Their wedding was the last British royal wedding of the millennium.