Earl of Wessex
Earldom of Wessex | |
---|---|
heirs male of the body lawfully begotten. | |
Subsidiary titles | Viscount Severn[1] |
Status | Extant |
Seat(s) | Bagshot Park |
Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in
First creation (c. 1019)
Wessex was one of the four earldoms of Anglo-Danish England.
During the reign of King
Earl | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death |
---|---|---|---|---|
Godwin, Earl of Wessex House of Godwin also: Earl of Kent (1020) |
Born probably in Sussex, Godwin's father was probably Wulfnoth Cild, who was a thegn of Sussex |
Gytha Thorkelsdóttir c. 997 11 children |
15 April 1053 Winchester, Hampshire, England Age unknown | |
King of England (1066)
|
c. 1022 Son of Godwin of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir |
(1) Ealdgyth c. 1064 2 sons |
14 October 1066 Hastings Died in the Battle of Hastings aged about 44 |
Upon Godwin's death, the earldom passed to his son, who later became King Harold II and died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; the title became extinct on his death.
Second creation (1999)
The current Earl of Wessex is also
In 1999,
At the occasion of his marriage, in keeping with the tradition of a monarch's son receiving a title upon marriage, but preserving the rank of duke for the future, Prince Edward became the first British prince in centuries to be specifically created an earl, rather than a duke. His wife Sophie became the Countess of Wessex. The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that Edward was drawn to the historic title of Earl of Wessex after watching the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, in which a character with the title “Lord Wessex” is played by Colin Firth.[7]
Earl | Portrait | Birth | Marriage(s) | Death |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prince Edward House of Windsor 1999–present also: Duke of Edinburgh (2023), Earl of Forfar (2019), Viscount Severn (1999) |
10 March 1964 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip |
19 June 1999 Sophie Rhys-Jones 2 children |
Alive (now 60 years, 47 days old) |
Line of succession
- Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964)
- (1) James, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007)
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "No. 55536". The London Gazette. 28 June 1999. p. 7011.
- ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1007: "In this year also was Edric appointed alderman over all the kingdom of the Mercians.", 1017: "This year also was Alderman Edric slain at London".
- ISBN 1-85285-389-1, p33
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack 2010, page 46 'Peers of the Blood Royal'
- ^ "Prince Edward given Duke of Edinburgh title previously held by his father Prince Philip". Sky News. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ Richard Eden (12 December 2010). "Royal wedding: Prince William asks the Queen not to make him a duke". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2010.