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| Duchess of Edinburgh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First holder | Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |
| Present holder | Sophie Rhys-Jones |
| Status | Extant |
Duchess of Edinburgh is the principalcourtesy title held by the wife of theDuke of Edinburgh. There have been five Duchesses of Edinburgh since the title's creation. Following the accession ofCharles III in 2022, the 3rd creation of the Dukedom of Edinburghmerged in the Crown. Following his parents’ wishes, on 10 March 2023, Charles III conferred the title Duke of Edinburgh on his youngest brother,Prince Edward, and his wife,Sophie, became the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha was also Princess of Wales between 1736 and 1751, and Dowager Princess of Wales thereafter. Princess Augusta's eldest son succeeded asGeorge III of the United Kingdom in 1760, as her husband, Frederick, Prince of Wales, had died nine years earlier.
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia was the fifth child and only surviving daughter of TsarAlexander II of Russia and his first wifeTsarina Maria Alexandrovna. She was the younger sister of TsarAlexander III of Russia and the paternal aunt of Russia's last Tsar,Nicholas II. In 1874, Maria Alexandrovna marriedPrince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son ofQueen Victoria andPrince Albert; she was the first and only Romanov to marry into the British royal family. In August 1893, Maria Alexandrovna became Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when her husband inherited the duchy on the death of his childless uncle,Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The new Duchess of Edinburgh was celebrated by rose grower Henry Bennett who named a bright crimson double hybrid tea rose he had bought from another grower (Schwartz) after her.
Elizabeth II wasQueen of the United Kingdom from her accession in 1952 to her death in 2022. Her husbandPrince Philip of Greece and Denmark was created Duke of Edinburgh just before their wedding on 20 November 1947. From their marriage until her accession as Queen, Elizabeth was styled "Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh."[1]
Upon thedeath of Prince Philip on 9 April 2021,Prince Charles acceded to the dukedom.[2] Thus, his wife,Camilla, became Duchess of Edinburgh.[3] Upon the death ofElizabeth II, Charles became king, making Camilla queen consort and his titles merged in the Crown.
It was announced in 1999, at the time of thewedding ofPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex, that he would eventually followhis father as Duke of Edinburgh.[4] Edward was granted the dukedom on his 59th birthday, 10 March 2023, by his brotherKing Charles III.[5] Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, became Duchess of Edinburgh.[6] This creation however is for life and non-hereditary, meaning thatJames, Earl of Wessex will not inherit the dukedom.[7]
Subsidiary titles: Marchioness of the Isle of Ely, Countess of Eltham, Viscountess of Launceston, Baroness of Snaudon.
| Duchess | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (by birth) House of Hanover (by marriage) |  | 30 November 1719 Gotha,Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg – daughter ofFrederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg andPrincess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst | 8 May 1736 Frederick, Prince of Wales 9 children | 8 February 1772 aged 52 |
Subsidiary titles: Countess of Kent,Countess of Ulster.
| Duchess | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia House of Romanov (by birth) House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (by marriage) |  | 17 October 1853 Alexander Palace,St. Petersburg – daughter ofAlexander II of Russia andPrincess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine | 23 January 1874 Prince Alfred 5 children | 24 October 1920 aged 67 |
Subsidiary titles: Countess of Merioneth,Baroness Greenwich.
| Duchess | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death | Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Elizabeth House of Windsor | .jpg) | 21 April 1926 Mayfair, London – daughter ofGeorge VI andLady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon | 20 November 1947 Philip Mountbatten 4 children | 8 September 2022 aged 96 | .svg) |
| Camilla Shand Shand family (by birth) House of Windsor (by marriage) |  | 17 July 1947 King's College Hospital, London – daughter ofBruce Shand andthe Hon. Rosalind Cubitt | 9 April 2005 Charles, Prince of Wales | – now 78 years, 209 days old |  |
Subsidiary titles:Countess of Wessex,Countess of Forfar, Viscountess Severn
| Duchess | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death | Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sophie Rhys-Jones Rhys-Jones family (by birth) House of Windsor (by marriage) | _(cropped).jpg) | 20 January 1965 Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford – daughter of Christopher Rhys-Jones and Mary O'Sullivan | 19 June 1999 Prince Edward 2 children | – now 61 years, 22 days old | |