Prince Philip's Duke of Edinburgh title will be handed to another royal but not before this key moment

Prince Philip
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince Philip's title of the Duke of Edinburgh is to be handed down to another member of the Royal Family but not before this key moment.

Prince Philip's title of The Duke of Edinburgh will be passed down to another member of the royal family but a key moment will have to take place before it does.

The Duke died aged 99 at his home in Winsdor Castle after Buckingham Palace confirmed the sad news.

And as tributes pour in from politicians, the public, and those who knew him well, it's been pointed out that the Queen will complete her reign in the same sad way as great grandmother Queen Victoria after Philip's funeral.

And while you might expect Prince Philip's son Prince Charles to be passed his Duke of Edinburgh title, it is his younger brother Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex who will be honoured the name, but not until the death of the Queen.

Prince Philip and Edward, Earl of Wessex

(Image credit: Getty)

Prince Philip, who was the third Duke of Edinburgh to be granted the title since it was first created back in 1726, and technically the title returns to the crown following his death and could be given to the next-in-line to the throne, meaning Prince Charles.

But it will actually be given to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, with Charles to remain the Prince of Wales.

The title was given to the Duke on the day of his wedding to Princess Elizabeth II in 1947, along with the titles Baron Greenwich, of Greenwich, and Earl of Merioneth.

Prince Philip

(Image credit: Getty)

As with the process of royal succession, there is a tradition that must be followed and Edward is the youngest of three sons, meaning he cannot receive the title through direct inheritance.

But on Charles’s eventual accession to the throne, the title will merge with the crown and can be regranted to Edward.

Traditionally, senior Royals are granted dukedoms on their wedding day - which is what happened with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.

But on his wedding day Edward, 57, was instead made the Earl of Wessex when he married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, which is two ranks lower than a dukedom. At the time Buckingham Palace confirmed that Edward would eventually one day succeed his father as the Duke of Edinburgh.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)