UK: Duke of Edinburgh Letters Patent published

The Letters Patent creating Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar Duke of Edinburgh was published in The London Gazette on Tuesday 14 March 2023:

Crown Office

HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, granting unto His Majesty’s Brother, His Royal Highness Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, K.G., G.C.V.O., for life the dignity of Duke of Edinburgh.

The wording leaves no doubt that Prince Edward has received a life peerage. something that came as a surprise to most of us when the creation was announced on his 59th birthday last Friday, 10 March 2023.

The Danish title saga continues

The Danish Queen's decision to discontinue the royal titles for Prince Joachim's children, as announced on 28 September 2022, didn't go down so well as she might have expected. Both Prince Joachim, his former wife Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg and their eldest son Prince Nikolai – from 1 January 2023 Count Nikolai of Monpezat «only» – have been quite vocal about their disappointment. I have written about the title issue in blog articles of 28 and 29 September 2022. Since then there have been comments on the issue by the court, by Prince Joachim once again, by Crown Princess Mary and even the Queen's sister Princess Benedikte has butted in, before the court released a new statement from the Queen yesterday. I left for a long weekend in Oxford, England on Friday, so I haven't been able to follow up before now, so here is some sort of a summary.

On Thursday 29 September the head of the comnunications department at the Danish Royal Court, Lene Balleby said to the Danish magazine Billed-Bladet (I didn''t comment on it then) that for the Queen it was a well thought out decision for the benefit of the future of the royal house. – The Queen has a great sense of duty and differs between the royal house's public work and the family. As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been under consideration for some time. We understand well that there are many feelings on play at the moment, but we hope that the queen's wish to secure the future of the royal house will be respected.

Now, I wrote on Thursday that Prince Joachim's comments about identity was over the top and rather pompous, but I don't believe for a minute that the monarchy would be in danger if Prince Joachim's children had kept their titles for life.

On Friday 30 September Crown Princess Mary met the media in connection with an international youth conference at Øksnehallen in Copenhagen. She said: – I can understand that it is a difficult decision to take and a very difficult decision to receive. Change can be difficult and can be painful. But that doesn't mean that the decision is not the correct one. We will also have a look on our children's titles when the time comes. Today we don't know how the royal house is going to look like at the time of Christian [his regency] or when we are getting close to Christian's time [as regent].

Even Princess Benedikte has commented on the title issue: – Of course the decision will be difficult for them in the beginning, that is obvious, but my sister takes wise decisions also as queen and thinks aahead of time and not just here and now, and I think that is more important.

In an interview with the Danish newspaper B.T. on Saturday 1 October Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Marie add fuel to the fire when they told that their relationship with the Crown Prince couple was complicated and that the queen had not tried to get in touch with them. Prince Joachim, somewhat cryptically, adds: «Det er også familie. Eller hvad vi nu vil kalde det.» («This is also family. Or what we now should call it.»)

On Monday 3 October the court was forced to follow-up with a new statement from the queen, and a rather well-phrased statement at that:

Statement from HM The Queen

In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision about the future use of titles for Prince Joachim’s four children. That affects me, of course.

My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look ahead. It is my duty and my desire as Queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment.

Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family. This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time.

I have made my decision as Queen, mother and grandmother, but, as a mother and grandmother, I have underestimated the extent to which much my younger son and his family feel affected. That makes a big impression, and for that I am sorry.

No one should be in doubt that my children, daughters-in-law and grandchildren are my great joy and pride. I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation.

Margrethe R

Later on Monday Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg's private secretary Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen assures us that there will be no more comments about the title issue from Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Countess Alexandra, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix for now. That is a wise decision. I don't think Prince Joachim's wining in public has helped his cause, but I can understand his frustration and his need to comment on the situation. He could have worded himself better, though. 

Of course the queen's decision stands firm. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena will from 1 January 2023 be referred to as Their Excellencies Count Nikolai, Count Felix, Count Henrik and Countess Athena of Monpezat. The title issue has revealed, or rather confirmed, that the family relations within the Danish royal house are far from good. My impression is also that the queen, or her court, has not communicated the decision well to Prince Joachim and his children, and while I understand that the number of royals at some time had to be restricted, it was - on principle - not a well timed decision. It should have been done much earlier, or the decision should have only affected Prince Joachim's grand children. In other words the queen has got «a little scratch in her paint», but for someone who has done most things correctly over the years I guess we can forgive her for it.

I only hope that the troubled sea now will calm down and that all parts involved will manage to adjust to the new situation. And more importantly that the relationships eventually will improve, for the good of the royal house and the monarchy.

Denmark: More about the changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family

The Danish Royal Court announced yesterday that the royal titles of Prince or Princess for Prince Joachim's children – Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena – would be discontinued from 1 January 2023, and that they from that day on would «only» be referred to as Count or Countess of Monpezat. 

Prince Joachim's former wife, Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, said in a statement that «We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock. This comes out of the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.» 

The head of the Communications Office of the Royal House, Lene Balleby, told the Danish newspaper Politiken yesterday that Prince Joachim in early May had been informed about the decision to take the royal title away from his children: «The decision has naturally had different forms during the process, and there have been different considerations, but Prince Joachim has been involved and informed about the progress.»

Prince Joachim says in a telephone interview with the Danish newspaper B.T. this morning that Balleby's comments was  «a truth with modifications». He said that he was informed about the plan to remove the titles on 5 May this year. The propisal was then that the children would lose their royal titles when they turned 25. Prince Joachim had asked for some time to think it over and possibly return with his own proposal. The decision was speeded up, and he got 5 days' notice before the decision was announced. He had no idea why the decision was speeded up. «I got five days' notice to tell my children that from next year their identity would be taken away from them. I am saddeded to see them saddened and puzzled by the decision, which takes place above their heads.» Joachim continues: «My children don't know which leg they should stand on. What should they believe? Why should their identity be taken away? Why should they be punished this way?» The prince tells that the whole family has been affected by the situation.

Prince Joachim's eldest son, Prince Nikolai, has been quoted as saying to Ekstra Bladet that «My whole family and myself are of course very saddened by it. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock by the decision, and how fast it [the decision making] has taken.»

The reactions are strong, as most would imagine, although some of the statements seem a bit pompous and over the top. It is difficult to believe that their identity should stand or fall on having a royal title. They will need to adjust and will in time get used to it. But I think the court – and Queen Margrethe – could have handled this better, and much earlier. It is in my opinion – as I also wrote yesterday – about principles. Such decisions should not be taken retroactively. Yes, of course I agree that something had to be done about the title situation. The royal titles could not have been continued in all eternity. It is Crown Prince Frederik's line that will represent the royal house in the future, so there is no need for a bunch of princes and princesses who are not «working royals». But I think there were only two good alternatives: either the children should not have received titles from the beginning, or it should be stopped with Joachim's children so that his grandchildren would «only» be Counts or Countesses of Monpezat (yes. I know that the title was created in 2008, but this could nevertheless have been solved at the time of Nikolai's birth). Constitutionally speaking it is much more difficult to take someone's right away than to give one. If the court had had some patience, they could wait and see if Crown Prince Frederik would finally settle down and have his own family or not. If he remained a bachelor, Prince Joachim's children could then be upgraded. One can now only hope that the relations within the Danish royal family will not remain strained for too long.

Denmark: Changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family

The Danish Royal Court today announced changes in titles and styles for the children of Prince Joachim – Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena – coming into force from 1 January 2023:

Changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family

In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued. Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future. The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.

With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.

All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.

When it on 30 April 2008 was announced that the Danish Queen had bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the title Count and Countess of Monpezat, it was by many people interpreted as a signal for what would happen to Prince Joachim's grandchildren some time in the future – they would not become Prince or Princess of Denmark, but those in the agnatic line would be Count or Countess of Monpezat «only». Never had I expected that the Queen would make such a drastic decision retroactively. It would have made more sense, as already mentioned, if it had only affected future descendants of Prince Joachim, or at least when Prince Joachim's children got married. They could then have «been told» not to ask for consent so that the title question would be solved this way. I would still have preferred if Prince Joachim's children would have kept their titles for life, though. Under the House of Glücksburg the children of the monarch and of the heir apparent have been titled Prince or Princess of Denmark with the style Royal Highness, while children of collaterial lines in the male line have been Prince or Princess of Denmark with the style Highness (let's ignore the exception for Prince Valdemar's children for the sake of clarity). Other royal houses have also in the past made moves to «downsize» – in 2019 it was decided that the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine no longer were members of the royal house and that they also lost the style Royal Highness, but they kept the title Prince or Princess. When Sverre Magnus of Norway was born in 2005 he got the title Prince, but was not given the style Royal Highness and did not become a member of the royal house, only of the royal family, but at least this unprecedented decision was made before he was born and not later on.

Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, former wife of Prince Joachim and mother of Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, have already made a statement as quoted by the Danish newspaper B.T.: «Vi er alle uforstående over for beslutningen. Vi er kede af det og i chok. Det her kommer som et lyn fra en klar himmel. Børnene føler sig udstødt. De kan ikke forstå, hvorfor deres identitet tages fra dem.» («We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock. This comes out of the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.») According to B.T. Countess Alexandra's statement is given on behalf of herself as well as of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie. If this move was made now in order to avoid any future conflicts over titles under the reign of Frederik, I am not convincved that it has been very successful.

UK: Scottish title for the Earl of Wessex

Buckingham Palace announced today, 10 March 2019, which is the 55th birthday of the Earl of the Wessex, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, that he had received an additional title:

The Queen has been pleased to grant The Earl of Wessex the additional title of Earl of Forfar.

In the «Notes for Editors» section, the Earl's Scottish connections, such as being a patron of several Scottish charitable organisations etc., are pointed out. From the notes we also learn that:

Their Royal Highnesses will use the title The Earl and Countess of Forfar when in Scotland.

The Earldom of Forfar was created in 1661 and became extinct as a title in 1715. It was a subsidiary title to the Earl of Ormond and was a title held by the Douglas Family.

The 1st Earl of Forfar (1653 to 1712) was Archibald Douglas. His son, also Archibald Douglas, became the 2nd Earl of Forfar (1692 to 1715). The 2nd Earl took the title at the age of 20 and died without issue leaving the Earldom, part of the Peerage of Scotland, extinct.

Forfar is the county town of Angus with a population of just over 14,000. It is the principal county town nearest to Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. It was this family of which the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was part.

According to Michael Rhodes, who is behind the blog Peerage News, the Earl of Wessex is «a fifth cousin nine times removed of the previous holder of that peerage».

Just for the record, as there are so many misconceptions concerning the Earl of Wessex and the future title of Duke of Edinburgh, let me quote the press statement released at the day the Earl of Wessex married Sophie Rhys-Jones on 19 June 1997:

TITLE OF HRH THE PRINCE EDWARD

TITLE OF HRH THE PRINCE EDWARD The Queen has today been pleased to confer an Earldom on The Prince Edward. His titles will be Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. The Prince Edward thus becomes His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones on marriage will become Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have also agreed that The Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown. The Queen has also decided, with the agreement of The Prince Edward and Miss Rhys-Jones, that any children they might have should not be given the style His or Her Royal Highness, but would have courtesy titles as sons or daughters of an Earl. To be released at 12 noon BST Saturday 19th June, 1999.

The Prince of Wales as the eldest son of the title holder is the present heir to the title Duke of Edinburgh. This mean that the Prince of Wales will inherit the title on the death of his father. If this happens while the Queen is still alive, the Prince of Wales will just add the Duke of Edinburgh title to his other titles. When he becomes King, the title will merge with the Crown.  If Prince Philip outlives the Queen, then the title will eventually pass on to the Prince of Wales, but as he by then is already the King, the title will merge with the Crown. Only then the title can be recreated for the Earl of Wessex.

Monaco: Ordinances conferring titles on the princely twins

The Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Charléne became parents to the twins Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques on Wednesday 10 December 2014. In the press bulletin it was informed that Hereditary Prince Jacques was to receive the title of Marquis of Baux, while Princess Gabriella was to receive the title of Countess of Carladès.

The ordinances conferring the said titles were published in the Monegasque Official Gazette, Journal de Monaco. Bulletin Officiel de la Principauté on Friday 12 December 2014:

• Ordonnance Souveraine n° 5.105 du 11 décembre 2014 conférant le titre de Marquis des Baux à S.A.S. le Prince Héréditaire Jacques
• Ordonnance Souveraine n° 5.106 du 11 décembre 2014 conférant le titre de Comtesse de Carladès à S.A.S. la Princesse Gabriella