As is traditional, Her Majesty the Queen has conferred a new title on Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan. In this case it is one that has not been used for over 175 years, and Meghan will become the first ever Duchess of Sussex…
When Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, the couple were given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is understood that at the time the Queen told Prince Harry she would make him Duke of Sussex upon his own marriage, and she followed through on that promise just hours before his wedding ceremony.
As the fountain of honour in the UK, the Queen has the sole right of conferring all titles of honour, including life peerages, knighthoods and gallantry awards.A statement said: “The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince Henry of Wales. His titles will be Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.
“Prince Harry thus becomes His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, and Ms. Meghan Markle on marriage will become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.”
There has only been one previous Duke of Sussex, Prince Augustus Frederick, the sixth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. He had the title conferred upon him at his birth in 1801. However, his two children did not inherit the title because both his marriages were in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act, as his father did not approve of the women’s standings, making the children illegitimate. Like Prince Harry, he married for love rather than choosing a bride of royal lineage. Because neither of his marriages were approved by King George III, there has never been a Duchess of Sussex before, meaning Meghan is the first.
Notably, the first Duke of Sussex was appointed Governor of Windsor Castle in 1842 by his niece, Queen Victoria, who said he was her favourite uncle. In fact the first Duke of Sussex gave Queen Victoria away at her wedding to Prince Albert.
This story is from the Issue 36 edition of Royal Britain Presents Royal Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 36 edition of Royal Britain Presents Royal Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Portrait of the King's Painter
Holbein at the Tudor Court at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, explored the career of the Hans Holbein the artist and the lives of those who commissioned portraits from him, bringing us face-to-face with some of the most famous people of 16th-century England...
Palace opens Balcony Rooms to the Public
The East Wing of Buckingham Palace is open to visitors for the first time this summer, and special guided tours of the Principal Floor are available to visitors. We preview some of the historic sights on offer...
ROYAL TRIVIA
The Royal Family have many odd and often outdated habits and traditions. Here are ten of them relating to our modern royals...
The People's Princess
Now open in London, the Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition is a walk-through photography exhibition that pairs a stunning, visual journey of her most recognisable and iconic photos with behind-the-scenes stories from her official photographers...
The Saxon King's
There have been 63 monarchs of England and Britain spread over a period of approximately 1200 years. In an ongoing series, we look at them in chronological order, starting with the Saxons...
Royal Treasures on Public Display
The King’s Galleries in London and Edinburgh have reopened this year at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse with exciting exhibitions of works of art from the Royal Collection, giving the general public access to one of the largest and most important art collections in the world...
ROYALS AT D-DAY COMMEMORATIONS
He said Catherine's grandmother had worked at Bletchley Park, the top-secret home of the World War Two code-breakers, and \"never spoke about anything until the very end\" of the war.
PRINCESS OF WALES RETURNS TO PUBLIC EVENTS AT TROOPING THE COLOUR
At the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 15th, King Charles III’s official birthday, all eyes were on the Princess of Wales as she made her return to public duty in her first official appearance since she revealed her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
THE ROYALS AT CHRISTMAS
The Royal Family traditionally spends Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House, the King’s country estate in Norfolk.
PRINCESS BEATRICE AT RAINBOW TRUST
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice joined hundreds of guests at the stunning St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge on December 7th for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity’s much-loved annual London Carol Concert.
