Louis Epstein
2018-10-15 14:48:17 UTC
TRH the Duke & Duchess of Sussex are expecting a child next spring.
The Duke is a younger son of a Prince of Wales,and the Queen's expected
survival through the infant's birth would make him the first younger
son of a Prince of Wales to have a child.
Younger sons of Princes of Wales become younger sons of Sovereigns
in due course,and as such their children are HRH Princes/ses...but
there is no provision for that style & title if the fathers are
still younger sons of Princes of Wales...under the 1917 LP they
would be Lord and Lady during the Queen's lifetime and would then
ascend to princely status on the Queen's death.
Common usage before 1917 was that the great-grandchildren were
Princes/ses styled "Highness" rather than "Royal Highness",and
from 1898 to 1917 this was upgraded to Royal Highness for children
of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales before being limited in
1917 to only the eldest living son among such children...again
extended to all children of the current eldest son of the Prince
of Wales but no provision for children of a younger son.
So what will or should it be?
If the Queen does nothing,as noted,the child would be a Lord
or Lady,before becoming HRH Prince/ss N of Sussex in the next reign.
Otherwise,in anticipation of the inevitable,the HRH could be
provided...or perhaps,maintaining the distinction but easing
the inevitable,the style of Highness could be revived with the
title of Prince/ss with the Highness becoming "Royal" in the next reign.
(George V was a younger son of a Prince of Wales from 1865 to his
brother's death in 1892,but had his first child in 1894,and George
VI was a younger son of a Prince of Wales from 1901 to 1910,but
had his first child in 1926...both were younger than the Duke of
Sussex when they became fathers but their ancestors died younger
than the Queen).
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
The Duke is a younger son of a Prince of Wales,and the Queen's expected
survival through the infant's birth would make him the first younger
son of a Prince of Wales to have a child.
Younger sons of Princes of Wales become younger sons of Sovereigns
in due course,and as such their children are HRH Princes/ses...but
there is no provision for that style & title if the fathers are
still younger sons of Princes of Wales...under the 1917 LP they
would be Lord and Lady during the Queen's lifetime and would then
ascend to princely status on the Queen's death.
Common usage before 1917 was that the great-grandchildren were
Princes/ses styled "Highness" rather than "Royal Highness",and
from 1898 to 1917 this was upgraded to Royal Highness for children
of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales before being limited in
1917 to only the eldest living son among such children...again
extended to all children of the current eldest son of the Prince
of Wales but no provision for children of a younger son.
So what will or should it be?
If the Queen does nothing,as noted,the child would be a Lord
or Lady,before becoming HRH Prince/ss N of Sussex in the next reign.
Otherwise,in anticipation of the inevitable,the HRH could be
provided...or perhaps,maintaining the distinction but easing
the inevitable,the style of Highness could be revived with the
title of Prince/ss with the Highness becoming "Royal" in the next reign.
(George V was a younger son of a Prince of Wales from 1865 to his
brother's death in 1892,but had his first child in 1894,and George
VI was a younger son of a Prince of Wales from 1901 to 1910,but
had his first child in 1926...both were younger than the Duke of
Sussex when they became fathers but their ancestors died younger
than the Queen).
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.