Last week it was announced that Prince Edward would take over as the Duke of Edinburgh with his wife, Sophie Wessex, becoming the Duchess of Edinburgh. The prestigious title change did not go unnoticed by fans, and many questioned what impact this would have for the couple's children, Louise and James.
In fact, King Charles III's decision to award his brother with the new title means that James – who was previously known as Viscount Severn – has inherited his father's Earl of Wessex title. As for his sister, Lady Louise, a Princess title could be on the cards...
Per royal protocol, the children of male descendants of the monarch automatically receive a royal title – such as Prince Andrew's children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. However, Edward and his wife decided to do things a little differently and, like Princess Anne, reportedly left the decision of whether to take up the title to the children themselves.
This meant that, upon her 18th birthday, Louise had quite the unique dilemma on her hands – to be or not to be a Princess. As it turned out, the royal opted not to take on the title, and that decision hasn't changed since her father became the Duke of Edinburgh.
If Louise did decide the title was a good fit for her, she'd be entitled to 'Her Royal Highness' styling, like her cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. However, Louise's other cousins, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips (Princess Anne's children), have never adopted these titles. What normies!
Speaking previously about the decision not to immediately bestow her children with a fancy title, the now-Duchess of Edinburgh told The Sunday Times: "We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living."
She went on, "Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it's highly unlikely [they'll choose to]."
Erm, if Louise doesn't want her Princess title, can we have it!?
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
Jade Biggs (she/her) is Cosmopolitan UK's Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. She also works on first-person features and investigative long-reads, taking a deep-dive into mental health, celebrity culture and women's rights. Jade has been a journalist and content writer for ten years, and has interviewed leading researchers and doctors, high-profile influencers and fitness experts. She is a cat mum to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter.
