Second Creation (current)
| Earldom of Wessex | |
| Creation date | 19 June 1999 |
|---|---|
| Created by | Elizabeth II |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | The Prince Edward |
| Present holder | The Prince Edward |
| Heir apparent | James, Viscount Severn |
| Remainder to | heirs male of the body of grantee |
In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son, Prince Edward, married Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones. Younger sons of the monarch have customarily been given dukedoms at the time of their marriage, and experts had suggested the former royal dukedoms of Cambridge and Sussex as the most likely to be granted to Prince Edward. Instead, the Palace announced that Prince Edward would eventually succeed to the title Duke of Edinburgh, currently held by his father. In the meantime, 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. The Sunday Telegraph reported that he was drawn to the historic title Earl of Wessex after watching the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, in which a character with that title is played by Colin Firth.
The current Earl of Wessex is also Viscount Severn; this title is used as a courtesy title by the Earl's son, who was born on 17 December 2007.
The heir apparent is the present holder's son James, Viscount Severn (b. 2007). The Earl's son is currently the only person in the line of succession to the titles of Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn.
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