For many years, Prince Andrew has been widely regarded as the favourite son of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
The Duke of York was the third child born to the monarch and Prince Philip after Prince Charles and Princess Anne and four years before Prince Edward.
According to royal historian Piers Brendon, Andrew’s decision to skip university and go straight to naval college pleased his duty bound mother and former navy officer father immensely securing his spot as the golden child.
But despite many such claims, the royal titles bestowed – as well as those yet to be – on the Windsor kids seem to tell a different story.
On his wedding day to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, then 35-year-old Prince Edward was given the title Earl of Wessex.
The move made Edward the first prince since Tudor times to become an Earl, and according to Express.co.uk the unusual move had a special purpose.
Prince Edward will reportedly take his father’s title, the Duke of Edinburgh, when Prince Philip dies, a great honour that seemingly indicates the high regard he is held in by his reigning mum.
Wife Sophie, now Countess of Wessex, will become the Duchess of Edinburgh upon Prince Philip’s death.
Cheatsheet recently reported that Prince Philip does not want a full state funeral, instead requesting a small service at the royal family’s church of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
According to the Sunday Times, Edward has already stepped in to fulfill many of his father’s royal duties since he retired from his official role in 2017.
Prince Edward is also His Royal Highness the Earl of Forfar in Scotland, a title granted to him on his 55th birthday in March.
Interestingly, The Telegraph previously reported that the decision to make Edward an Earl on his wedding day was entirely the Prince’s own doing.
Edward was allegedly set to become the Duke of Cambridge before he intervened to ask the Queen for the Earldom of Wessex instead.
He was reportedly inspired by the character Lord Wessex from the motion picture Shakespeare in Love.
Today, Edward’s nephew and future king Prince William holds the Cambridge title.
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