Who Was the Duke of Sussex Before Prince Harry?

However, very few royal aficionados were surprised when Queen Elizabeth chose the title for Prince Harry. In fact, many assumed it would go to her youngest son, Prince Edward, after his 1999 wedding. When he was named the Earl of Wessex, some predicted that Prince William would receive the title, but—as we know—the monarch opted for the Duke of Cambridge. (It was later changed to Duke of Cambridge and Cornwall after the queen’s passing.)

It’s very common for royal families to recycle official titles, especially when they’re accompanied by a noteworthy history. The Sussex title first originated in 827 in the Kingdom of Sussex, an Anglo-Saxon empire that was controlled by the Kingdom of England.

The word “Sussex” was often used to describe ealdormen, aka someone with a high status. The term means “duces” in Latin, which is sometimes translated to “dukes.”

As for why the title of Duke of Sussex went dormant following Augustus’s death, it appears to be protocol. Not only does it show respect for the late royal, but it also eliminates the possibility of having multiple princes with the same title.

That’s enough history for today.