Prince Edward has been named the new Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace has announced

March 10th, 2023

PRESS RELEASE   

March 10, 2023

Prince Edward has been named the new Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace has announced

HM King Charles III has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar. The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.

The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday. The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”

The Award would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prince Edward, as he continues his late father’s legacy. “We join our global community in celebrating this news,” shared Elizabeth Higgins-Beard, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA. “Prince Edward is a transformational leader who has advocated for young people through the Award for over 20 years. He has made the growth and awareness of the Award internationally, and in the USA specifically, a priority. We could not imagine a more well-earned and deserved honor.”

His Royal Highness is especially passionate about organizations and causes that provide opportunities to young people around the world. A Gold Award Holder himself, he is the Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation’s governing Board of Trustees and previously chaired the International Council for 17 years.

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To find out more about the Award in the United States, please visit www.usaward.org. To find out more about the Award internationally, visit www.intaward.org.

For more information, case studies or Award content in the United States, contact Dennis Colloton, Colloton Bauer + Luce, 312.228.4780, dc@cullotonbauerluce.com

Notes to Editors
His Royal Highness was created Earl of Wessex in 1999, on the occasion of his marriage to Miss
Sophie Rhys-Jones.

In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II granted The Earl of Wessex the additional title of Earl of Forfar, on the
occasion of His Royal Highness’s 55th birthday.

About The Dukedom of Edinburgh

The Dukedom has previously been created four times for Members of the Royal Family:

• 1726 – Prince Frederick, eldest son of King George II
• 1764 – Prince William, brother of King George III, as part of the joint title, The Duke of
  Gloucester and Edinburgh
• 1866 – Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria
• 1947 – Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA

• The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global, non-formal education framework which challenges young people to develop new skills, get physically active, learn about teamwork and leadership through adventurous journey and volunteer within their communities.
• It is the world’s leading youth achievement award, equipping young people for life. With a proven framework operating in more than 130 countries and territories around the world, the Award is available for all young people ages 14 to 24, inclusive of their background, culture, physical ability, skills and interests.
• It is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political or religious affiliations. Over half of US-involved Award participants report that they are from a marginalized race, ethnicity, or ability status. In 2021, one in five of US Award participants reported living with low income.
• The Award’s US division, @TheAwardUSA, www.usaward.org, now in its sixth year, was established in 2016 and operates as an independent 501(c)3 national charity based in Chicago. Inspirational stories of the infinite potential of Award USA participants can be found in this video series
• As today’s young people face the unprecedented challenges from COVID-19 and beyond, as well as calls to address racial injustice, the Award is dedicated to ensuring that young people will have what they need for the future: the benefit of quality non-formal education and learning.
• The program was founded by HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956, in conjunction with German educationalist Kurt Hahn and The Lord Hunt, the leader of the first expedition to successfully ascent of Mount Everest.
• There are currently more than a million young people completing their own unique Award programs via hundreds of thousands of youth-focused partners and operators, including schools, universities, after school organizations, faith-based organizations, and juvenile justice involved institutions.
• For more information on the impact of the Award, including recent social value analysis, please visit Award-Global-Impact-Report-2020.pdf (usaward.org).
• National and international case studies, imagery and additional video content are available on request. More information on the global Award can be found at www.intaward.org