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I fully agree; it was agreed, so the decision was made. Why start backtracking now?People magazine was given a response from the spokesperson of the Prince of Wales.
A spokesperson for Charles tells PEOPLE, "All stories of this nature are speculation and no final decisions have been taken. It would be inappropriate and disrespectful to the Queen to comment on matters of accession and we will be maintaining our long-standing policy of not doing so."
https://people.com/royals/prince-charles-prince-edward-duke-of-edinburgh-title/
It is interesting that the Prince's spokesperson states "no final decisions have been taken", as most members of the public (including myself) have interpreted the announcement of June 1999 as a final decision.
It is hard to understand the remark that it would be "inappropriate and disrespectful" to comment on the future of the dukedom, given that the announcement in 1999 did precisely that. Did the Prince of Wales agree to the 1999 announcement despite his belief that it was "inappropriate and disrespectful", or was his "long-standing policy" introduced after 1999?
Richard Kay, a columnist in the Daily Mail, believes that the Prince of Wales was "irritated" by the Earl and Countess of Wessex giving "high-profile interviews" and being described as "indispensable" and, he believes, leaked the dukedom story as a "warning shot" to the Wessexes. Mr. Kay bases his opinion on comments from unnamed sources, who he says are close to the Prince of Wales.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/...ons-Charles-denied-fathers-wishes-Edward.html
If true, it seems the prince is jealous... and that doesn't suit him. He is the one who couldn't keep his son in check and now might take out his 'anger' at his (imho) innocent younger brother.
If he is going back on his intention not to make his wife the princess royal (in which case something not beneficial for him is turned around into something beneficial - which I would be fine with although it would be a rather empty 'intention' that shouldn't have made; using Duchess of Cornwall instead of Princess of Wales was sufficient imho) as well as on the agreement made with his parents on the title for his brother (a decision that would turn something beneficial for his brother into something unbeneficial for his brother), my respect for him would drop significantly.
Leaking this as a way to keep his brother and sister-in-law on their edges in itself is already a strategy I disapprove of. That doesn't show statesmanship but small-mindedness and huge insecurities.