Royal Revelation: The TRUTH Why Prince Philip Is Not Called 'King'
Prince Philip has been married to Queen Elizabeth II even before she ascended the throne 67 years ago. However, despite being the husband of the queen, his title remains to be Duke of Edinburgh instead of king.
Witht that said, many royal watchers have been confused and are wondering why Prince Philip is not called king.
Why Is A Prince Married To The Queen?
It is a popular notion that a woman married to the King should be called her Queen. Everyone assumes that the same goes for men who are married to queens. They should be given the title of the king.
While people assume that Prince Philip is not king because he married Queen Elizabeth II before she became Queen, the truth about his royal title does not have anything to do about the timing of their wedding.
As reported by Town and Country, the reason why Prince Philip is prince consort and not called king is because of how the title of queen is granted to a woman. The term "queen" could refer to the ruling monarch or ceremoniously, it could mean the wife of a monarch.
This is the reason why the wives of the British monarchs tend to receive the title of queen or queen consort when their husbands are crowned king. This is going to be the case with Kate Middleton.
When Prince William ascends to the throne, Kate will be called Queen.
However, the title of the king only means one thing. It is a term used to describe an acting monarch. It does not come with its ceremonial meaning.
Thus, Prince Philip, despite being married to Queen Elizabeth II, remains to be the Duke of Edinburgh.
The History Of Royal Titles
Prince Philip did not marry himself into royalty. His father was a prince and his mother was a princess. In fact, he was born with his own regal titles attached to his name. Before he was called the Duke of Edinburgh, he was known as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.
However, shortly after his birth, his family was exiled from Greece. In 1947, he had to renounce his royal title in order to marry the love of his life, then Princess Elizabeth. Upon their marriage, Prince Philip received three new titles namely the Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Four years after his wife's coronation in 1953, Prince Philip received yet another royal title from her. Queen Elizabeth II made him the Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Whitehall.
Buckingham Palace then released an official statement saying, "The queen has been pleased to declare her will and pleasure that His 'Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh shall henceforth be known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."
While the royal titles may seem confusing, they come with their own rich history. And with every royal title comes its own weight of responsibility.
At the moment, the public remains hopeful that whoever ascends to the throne will do his or her utmost best to serve the nation with pride and dignity.
