The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, has recently been honored in his titular city. During his visit to Edinburgh, Prince Edward was inducted into the Order of the
Thistle. This honor comes just over a year after he was named Duke of Edinburgh by his brother, King Charles III, fulfilling a promise made 25 years ago. However, Edward holds another, less well-known Scottish title.
On his 55th birthday in 2019, Prince Edward was given the title of Earl of Forfar by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. This was in addition to the title of Earl of Wessex, which he received on his wedding day in 1999. For twenty years, Edward and his wife, Sophie, were known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex. From March 2019, they also became the Earl and Countess of Forfar.
The Earldom of Forfar was originally created in 1661 and became extinct as a title in 1715. It was a subsidiary title to the Earl of Ormond and was held by the Douglas Family. The 1st Earl of Forfar, Archibald Douglas (1653 to 1712), was succeeded by his son, also named Archibald Douglas, who became the 2nd Earl of Forfar (1692 to 1715). The 2nd Earl took the title at the age of 20 and died without issue, causing the Earldom to become extinct.
Forfar, the county town of Angus, has a population of just over 14,000. It is the principal town nearest to Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Prince Edward's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, was a daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Since March 2023, however, Edward has held a more prominent Scottish title. On his wedding day, Buckingham Palace announced that Edward would eventually become Duke of Edinburgh, a title famously held by his father, Prince Philip. It was a significant and poignant gift, as Edward could not become Duke of Edinburgh until after the deaths of both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and once Charles III ascended the throne.
Prince Philip was made Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, ahead of his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth. His dukedom followed traditional rules, meaning it would be inherited by his eldest son. When Prince Philip passed away in April 2021, the title automatically passed to Charles. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles became king, and all his other titles reverted to the Crown.
At that point, King Charles III recreated the Dukedom of Edinburgh in March 2023, naming his youngest brother, Edward, as the new Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday. However, this title is to be held by Edward for his lifetime only and cannot be passed on to his son.
Instead, James, now known as Earl of Wessex, may one day inherit Edward’s other Scottish title and become the Earl of Forfar. Photo by UKinUSA, Wikimedia commons.
