Prince Edward is the only one of the Queen's sons not to be given a Duke title on his wedding day – and here's why.
SEE: Prince Edward and Sophie's magical wedding day in photos
Prince Edward is formally known as the Earl of Wessex, a title bestowed on him on his 1999 wedding day to Sophie Wessex (née Sophie Rhys-Jones), but both of his brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles have Duke titles – why?
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According to reports, the reason the Queen's youngest son isn't a Duke is because he didn't want to be! A royal courtier spilled the beans to The Telegraph, explaining: "Prince Edward was going to be the Duke of Cambridge, but he watched the film Shakespeare in Love, which had a character called the Earl of Wessex. He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead."
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Edward married in 1999
The royal couple tied the knot on 19 June at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in front of many members of the royal family and 200 million viewers watched around the world, despite there being no official royal celebration.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royal couple looked incredible
Sophie looked incredible in a chic Samantha Shaw wedding dress, and she paired it with a tiara loaned from the Queen's beloved collection. While Edward looked smart in his formal morning suit completed with a 'something blue' pocket square.
The move for Edward not to take a Duke title was an interesting one because technically a Duke outranks an Earl meaning that his brothers have more royal authority than him.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royal family joined in the celebrations
It was originally thought that Prince Edward may take on the title of the Duke of Edinburgh after the passing of his father, Prince Philip but that did not occur when Philip sadly passed in April this year.
Another thing to note is that not all Dukes are awarded the title upon their wedding day. For example, Prince Charles became the Duke of Cornwall at only 4-years-old!
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