Lady Louise Windsor may be the eldest daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, however, due to a 900-year-old inheritance rule, she was not automatically given a royal title. But, her younger brother, James Wessex, was.
The Edinburghs’ first child was leapfrogged by her brother when Prince Edward was given the title of the Duke of Edinburgh by his brother, King Charles, for his 59th birthday on March 10, 2023.
The late Prince Philip had always wanted his youngest son Edward to inherit his title, but the decision ultimately was down to Charles as King.
Following this, Sophie became the Duchess of Edinburgh their son James, 16, took over Edward’s former title as Earl of Wessex.
That’s because when Edward and Sophie married in 1999, they were given the titles of the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children “would have courtesy titles as sons or daughters of an earl”, Buckingham Palace had announced.
It also announced that Edward would eventually one day succeed his father as the Duke of Edinburgh – but not until after the death of both Philip and Queen Elizabeth. Courtesy titles are only used by the peer’s eldest living son and the eldest son’s eldest living son, and so forth.
Other descendants, like Louise, are not permitted to use the peer’s subsidiary titles. Only the heir apparent (and heir apparent to the heir apparent, and so on) may use them.
Since Louise is the daughter of an earl, was was given the lady title after her birth in 2003. However, while the Earl of Wessex is a hereditary title, Edward’s Duke of Edinburgh title is not.
That means that after his passing, the Duke of Edinburgh title will go back to the Crown, with Prince William and Princess Kate’s children, especially Prince Louis, being the top candidates.
James will become the Earl of Wessex and Forfar when the title of the Duke of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown, the Palace said.
Edward will also remain for his lifetime the Earl of Forfar, another of his titles, but will use the Duke of Edinburgh because it is the more senior Scottish title.
