Prince Edward given Duke of Edinburgh title by King Charles

The title has not had any official holder since Prince Philip died in April 2021

Prince Edward will from now on be known as the Duke of Edinburgh. PA

Prince Edward has been given the Duke of Edinburgh title previously held by his late father, Buckingham Palace announced.

He will carry his new title from Friday, March 10, which is his 59th birthday.

The youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II of Britain took on many of his father's duties after his passing, including overseeing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The change means his wife Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, is now the Duchess of Edinburgh. The couple's 15-year-old son James, Viscount Severn, has been given his father's previous title of Earl of Wessex.

“His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday," the palace said.

"The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.

“The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952.

“The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”

The changes in titles have already been updated on the royal family’s official website.

The line of succession list now shows 13th in line Edward as the Duke of Edinburgh, and 14th in line James as the Earl of Wessex.

There is no change in title for Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's daughter, Lady Louise.

Earlier this week, Prince Harry and Meghan for the first time used the title "Princess" for their daughter Lilibet when they announced that she had been christened.

“I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor,” a representative for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said.

The couple's children, Archie and Lili, were made "Prince" and "Princess" when their grandfather King Charles ascended the throne upon the death of the queen last September.

But the Sussexes waited six months before publicly using the titles.

The line of succession to the throne was updated on the palace's website to reflect the changes. The children, who had previously been referred to as "Master" and "Miss", are now listed as "Prince Archie of Sussex" and "Princess Lilibet of Sussex".