When Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones got married in 1999, Edward's parents — Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh — made it known that when Philip passed, Edward would inherit the Duke of Edinburgh title. Titles are, of course, a very big deal within the royal family and the Duke of Edinburgh designation is one of the most coveted, as it comes with hereditary importance and a dukedom to oversee. After both Philip and Elizabeth passed, however, King Charles III held onto the title for himself, appearing to keep it hostage until he decided to finally give it to his younger brother. What ensued during the king's months of hesitancy was incredible tension between the siblings and judgment from the Commonwealth, as it was the late queen's wish that Edward be bestowed the dukedom.
Christopher Andersen gave a blunt estimation of the brothers' title feud, telling the Daily Beast, "Denying the Duke of Edinburgh title to Edward just makes [Charles] look small, petulant, and more than a little vindictive." The king must've been paying attention to the criticism and calls to finally relinquish the title, because on March 10, 2023, Edward was finally named the Duke of Edinburgh – which just so happened to be his 59th birthday. The title of the Duchess of Edinburgh was also given to Sophie, formally the Countess of Wessex, and the couple traveled to Scotland shortly thereafter to celebrate.
