Prince Charles is allegedly refusing to give his younger brother Edward the title of Duke of Edinburgh after Prince Philip’s death.
The Earl of Wessex has been waiting for his father’s title for over twenty years, however rumours are swirling that Charles is not so keen on fulfilling his brother’s wishes.
The title of the Duke of Edinburgh was passed down to Philip’s eldest son, Charles following his death in April.
However, the title has long been expected to be passed down to Edward.
In 1999, Buckingham Palace announced to the world that Edward would succeed his father in the dukedom “in due course”.
At the time, he had the blessing of the Queen and Prince Philip.
After his marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, the Queen gifted him a title of his choosing, the earldom of Wessex.
However, Charlie may not hand the title to his younger brother, with the Sunday Times reporting he is reassessing his future.
A source close to Charles told the newspaper: “The prince is the Duke of Edinburgh as it stands, and it is up to him what happens to the title. It will not go to Edward.”
Another revealed: “Edinburgh won’t go to them (the Wessexes) as far as the prince is concerned.”
When Charles becomes king, the title of the Duke of Edinburgh will merge with the crown, meaning the new patriarch will be able to grant Edward the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
In an interview with the BBC last month, Edward made it clear the new title was a decision completely in his older brother’s hands.
The royal was asked: “You will be the next Duke of Edinburgh, when the Prince of Wales becomes king, that is quite something to take on?”
Edward responded: “It was fine in theory, ages ago when it was sort of a pipe dream of my father’s … and of course it will depend on whether or not the Prince of Wales, when he becomes king, whether he’ll do that, so we’ll wait and see. So yes, it will be quite a challenge taking that on.”
The Earl of Wessex admitted that the granting of the title is “bittersweet” for him as it only happens “after both my parents have actually passed away”.
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This article originally appeared on Over60.