Prince William officially became the Duke of Cambridge upon his marriage to Kate Middleton. Queen Elizabeth gave the dukedom as a gift.
Reports recalled that the British Monarch usually gives the peerage to her descendants before their weddings. This is why Prince Harry became the Duke of Sussex upon marrying Meghan Markle.
However, the Duke of Cambridge almost "missed out" on this honor, according to the Daily Express. The Queen intended to give the dukedom, not to her grandson but, to her youngest son Prince Edward.
Several royal experts thought that the Earl of Wessex would become the Duke of Cambridge. So, it came as a surprise when he took the earldom upon marriage.
Prince William and Kate Middleton had a lavish wedding in 2011. This is about 12 years after Prince Edward married the then-Sophie Rhys-Jones.
The same publication recalled that the Earl and Countess decided not to have a grand royal wedding. They, reportedly, asked Queen Elizabeth about this, which then hinted that they turned the Dukedom of Cambridge.
Hours before their wedding, the Queen's youngest son received his Earldom. The British Monarch gave him the title, Earl of Wessex, in favor of her son's request.
Several reports claimed that the title came from the royal-born Prince's favorite film, Shakespeare In Love. He, allegedly, loves a certain character that bears the same peerage, causing him to ask his mother to give it to him, instead of a dukedom.
While things seemingly went well with the British Royal Family, Prince William's uncle has since met with criticisms because of his choice of title. Historian David Starkey called out the title, Earl of Wessex, and stated that it is "total fiction." He explained that the "Wessex" is no longer around, adding that the last persons who used the title were from thousands of years ago.
But, amid all the objections, other royal experts and analysts believe that Prince Edward will likely inherit his father's dukedom in the future. Some even noted that the earl status is only "temporary," according to Town and Country.
When Prince Philip passes away, his title would go back to the crown and go to the next person in line to the throne. But, considering that Prince William's father already has dukedoms, the Queen may "reissue" the title to Prince Edward.
Prince Philip and the then-Princess Elizabeth became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh upon marrying each other in 1947. But, when she ascended to the throne, she lost all her titles and became the Queen of the United Kingdom.
