Prince Edward celebrated his birthday on Sunday with an extra special gift from the Queen. To celebrate her son reaching the milestone of turning 55, Her Majesty gave Edward a title to use in Scotland. She marked the occasion by naming him the Earl of Forfar, and his wife Sophie as Countess of Forfar, for when they are north of the border.
The royal family made another gesture for the Prince's birthday, by sharing a sweet throwback photo of the Queen holding the Edward as a child. The caption alongside the picture on social media read: "Wishing The Earl of Wessex a very happy birthday #HappyBirthdayHRH. The Earl is the youngest child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh."
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The Earldom of Forfar was created in 1661 and became extinct as a title in 1715 when the second Earl died leaving no children. This makes Edward's new title particularly exciting! He is patron of a number of Scottish charitable organisations, such as The Edinburgh International Festival, the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland and Badminton Scotland. In 2014 The Earl was Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Queen's personal representative to the assembly.
Forfar, which has a population of just over 14,000, is the county town of Angus. It is located near Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the family which the late Queen Mother was part of.
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Royal fans have also been sharing their best wishes for the Prince on his birthday. One wrote on Twitter: "He looks just like his mother. Happy birthday Prince Edward. Wishing you a fantastic time. May God continue to bless you with long life, good health and true happiness." Another wrote: "Happy Birthday to HRH The Earl of Wessex. Hoping that he has a wonderful day full of presents, cake and lots of family love."