Queen's youngest grandchild gets new royal title - but 'favourite' misses out
The late Queen's youngest grandchild has been granted a new title in a royal shake-up - but his older sister has missed out.
Today it was confirmed that Prince Edward is now the Duke of Edinburgh - honouring the wishes of his mother the former monarch and his father Prince Philip, who also held the title.
In turn, this makes Edward's wife Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh - and it also affects their son James.
Today, he becomes the new Earl of Wessex, the title previously held by his father - but this doesn't mean there is any change for Edward and Sophie's oldest child Louise.
The late Queen's youngest grandchildren Louise and James, who has today become the new Earl of Wessex (UK Press via Getty Images)
James and Louise with their parents, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Getty Images)Louise, 19, who is currently a student at St Andrews University and previously dubbed her late grandmother's favourite grandchild remains as Lady Louise Windsor.
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The changes were announced by Buckingham Palace today although it was noted that Edward's new dukedom would not be hereditary like it was in the past.
This means that upon Edward's death, James will not become Duke of Edinburgh and the title will revert to the Crown.
James and Louise with their parents at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year (PA)This paves the way for one of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children to potentially be given the title in the future, with Prince Louis the most likely candidate.
James, who is 14th in line to the throne, instead will become the Earl of Wessex and Forfar when the title of The Duke of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown, the Palace said.
The 15-year-old has mainly grown up in private with his family - away from the public spotlight.
James teases his sister during a family beach clean (PA)But over the past year, the teenager has made several high-profile appearances such as at the Commonwealth Games and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He was born in December 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey - close to his parent's home of Bagshot Park.
His full name is James Alexander Philip Theo - with the middle name Philip clearly a nod to his late grandfather Prince Philip.
James and Louise with their cousins as the arrive to hold a vigil at their grandmother the Queen's coffin last year (Getty Images)One of his major interests was once revealed by his late grandmother the Queen herself several years ago.
During a ceremony in Windsor Castle in 2017, she was introduced to an eight-year-old boy, who was around the same age as James at the time.
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She told him: "My grandson is nine and he does nothing else but tries to drive a car - mostly mine."
Both James and sister Louise have often been described as among her favourite grandchildren - and shared a close relationship with her.
Last September after the monarch's death, James, who was just 14 at the time, joined his older cousins including Prince William and Prince Harry to mount a vigil around their grandmother's coffin during the lying in state at Westminster Hall before her funeral.
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