Ok everyone, I think we should all be cautious here and not get ahead of ourselves.
Full disclosure: I personally would like to see Edward get the Duke of Edinburgh title (with the usual heirs male remainder) and actually I think he will in fact receive just that, probably this year - in March on his birthday (not March 2024 as one Mail source suggests) or in May at the time of the coronation.
BUT - and this is a big but: I don't believe this Daily Mail article brings any of us any more close to KNOWING what will in fact happen or when.
Everyone loves to speculate (myself included) but that's all we're doing - Daily Mail included. I admit I enjoy the Mail from time to time as a guilty pleasure - I especially think they have copious high quality photos but I take any text (including some photo captions) with a huge boulder of salt.
The Mail, like all the tabloids puts numerous articles quoting unnamed (close to the royals sources) all the time. Close, inside or high level are fairly subjective terms. And as one poster pointed out, there's lots of "could", "maybe" and "possible" throughout the piece. I'm not an insider but I can speculate on what might happen. It might, it might not.
Sometimes I think the tabloids publish things trying to provoke either a confirmation or denial from the palace and thereby create an actual real piece of news.
It's true that sometimes they seem to be reporting things that actually come true but the details vary.
If there is any nugget of truth to this story (I personally wish, but doubt there is), I would say that perhaps a source has leaked that a title announcement is imminent and so the Mail is putting this out there so they don't look so wrong as the the previous trend was that HM was NOT going to bestow the title.
The King will bestow (or not) when he sees fit and not a minute before, and I'm sure the Wessexes (whether they like it or not), fully understand this - they know the game. Unlike (apparently) the Markles of Montecito.
My guess, which is about as accurate (or inaccurate) as anyone else's, is that Edward gets the Dukedom this year with the usual remainder. I have no idea if there will be any subsidiary titles. None are really needed in this case and I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that this would be the first Dukedom created without subsidiary titles (if that happens) since Duke of Windsor was created on Dec. 12, 1936 (and Letters Patent issued March 8, 1937) Of course we can't be 100% sure about that either because I believe the documentation re: The Duke of Windsor letters patent is sealed as a state secret until at least 2037.
One final thought - they talk in the DM article of Duke of Edinburgh being a senior title in the Union. It was only senior because it was last created for and then held for 73 plus years by the consort of the longest reigning Queen in history. Yes it's special in the family (at the moment) but in my opinion it should not be given special consideration like the titles Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall (& Duke of Rothesay, etc.) and Princess Royal. Even Duke of York, due to its association with the present holder (despite having been proudly held by The late Queen's father and grandfather), is now tainted and may not be use for second sons as much. I personally think Louis will get Duke of Cambridge as a nod to HIS father William who was known as D of C for 11 years prior to Sept. 8th last year. Charlotte will become Princess Royal and The Dukedom of York will take a rest for a few decades/centuries until the memory of Andrew fades.
We shall all see - (or we won't) ?
