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 Entertainment Writer

Selina is currently a Senior Entertainment Writer for Goodto.com, formerly Senior Entertainment writer for Woman&Home, and My Imperfect Life and has more than 16 years of experience in newspapers, magazines and online. She currently writes a mix of Entertainment news - including celebrity births, weddings and reality show line-ups including Strictly, Dancing On Ice and The Great British Bake Off, reporting the the latest news about the Royal kids Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet as well as Family news stories from baby names to store closures and product recall warnings. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand. When she's not interviewing celebrities you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories.