Fans' wishes are granted as King Charles bestows significant titles on fellow royals following Archie and Lilibet announcement

King Charles bestowed more significant titles after Archie and Lilibet were confirmed as Prince and Princess - and fans will be pleased!

King Charles has bestowed significant titles on Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex. Seen here the King attends a luncheon for Members of the Order of Merit
(Image credit: Photo by Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Fans' wishes have been granted as King Charles has bestowed significant titles on fellow royals following the recent Archie and Lilibet announcement. 


Following reports of Lilibet Diana’s christening in the US it has now been confirmed that she and her brother Archie are now Princess and Prince. This came after months of speculation about whether or not King Charles would grant Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children the use of a Prince and Princess title. As the grandchildren of the monarch they have been entitled to these titles since September 2022, though it’s only just been updated in the royal line of succession

The decision sparked quite the reaction, with many people expressing their desire to see other prominent royals granted new titles too. Now fans' wishes have been granted as King Charles has bestowed significant titles on Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex on his brother’s 59th birthday.

After months of speculation about whether they’d receive these prestigious titles, it was confirmed on March 10 in a special Royal Family Twitter post that he’s become Duke of Edinburgh, making Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh. 

“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,” the caption declared alongside a sweet snap of the King’s youngest brother beaming. 

The title will be held by Prince Edward for his lifetime and he is only the fifth royal to ever hold it. Sharing more detail on the Royal Family website, it was revealed that the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are “proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential”. 

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex attend the start of Sophie, Countess of Wessex's Diamond Challenge cycle ride

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

This major announcement comes not only a day after Prince Harry and Meghan’s children were confirmed as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but after fans flooded the Royal Family’s social media with requests for this very thing. Taking to the comments section on March 9, plenty of fans expressed their desire to see the Wessexes become Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. 

“What happened to Edward, Duke of Edinburgh? And Duchess Sophie!!” one person commented amid a flurry of other responses to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s title change. 

Whilst another replied, “All we want about the title changes is Earl and Countess of Wessex title change to become Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.”

“Prince Edward has to become the Duke of Edinburgh,” someone else wrote resolutely.

Although some reports had previously claimed that the title could be bestowed upon Princess Charlotte in her own right, as per Edinburgh Live, Buckingham Palace confirmed when Prince Edward and Sophie married that they would be Duke and Duchess one day.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex visit Shallowford Farm

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

“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 held now by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown,” the palace reportedly stated. 

Now this has finally come to pass and it’s many fans will no doubt be delighted to hear of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s new titles.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!