- The Queen has stated that the Duchy [of Edinburgh] will pass by special remainder to Prince Edward (currently Earl of Wessex) upon his father's death.
Really? No such special remainder was attached to the dukedom (not duchy) when it was created in 1947, obviously, and I believe the current custom is that not even the monarch can alter the succession of a peerage.
As I understand it (and according to Wikipedia):
- If Philip dies before Elizabeth, the dukedom will pass to his first son, Charles. Then when Elizabeth dies the dukedom will pop out of existence, because King Charles III cannot hold any lesser British title.
- If Elizabeth dies before Philip, the dukedom dies with Philip, for the same reason.
- Either way, there is a family arrangement that the new king will create a new dukedom of Edinburgh for his brother Edward – the fifth such since 1714.
"GCMG for knights or dames Grand Cross; KCMG/DCMG for knights or dames commanders"
What's the difference between Grand Cross and Commanders here?
Royal Dukedoms No active ex-royal dukedoms now exist: as it happens, no such dukedom has reached a third generation since the Wars of the Roses; the first or sometimes the second holder always either died with no legitimate male issue. I found one example - the dukedom of Connaught & Strathearn, created in 1874 for The Prince Arthur (third son of Queen Victoria). His only son, Prince Arthur of Connaught, predeceased him so the dukedom passed in 1942 directly to Alistair Windsor. The childless Alistair became His Grace The Duke of Connaught & Strathearn for just over a year before his own death and the peerages' resultant extinction. This, though, is an odd example as the 2nd Duke had been born His Highness Prince Alistair of Connaught, but became simply Alistair Windsor, commonly called Earl of Mac Duff open a change of the rules by George V in 1917.
. . . Code Geass does not belong here. Alternate History. Britannia is not Britain.
I've added a bit on posthumous awards in the light of Martin Amis getting a knighthood "after" his death.