# Earl of Wessex, Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex; how are these names determined? Who chooses them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533 "2018-05-21T00:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/41 "2018-05-23T07:00:25Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > If they give somebody a previously-unused territorial designation (as they did for the Duke of Windsor) well, now we have a new royal ducal title. This can happen at any time. It would then come down to what sounds suitably grand and historic, and isn’t already taken by some non-royal inheritance. Not a great deal of room to manoeuvre. “Duke of Milton Keynes” somehow doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/42 "2018-05-23T07:04:38Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Why wasn’t there a kingdom of the north Saxons? Were they doomed by a low birthrate? Hohoho. There was Northumbria, and very influential it was - but then the Danes came. [https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Kingdom\_of\_Northumbria.html](https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Kingdom_of_Northumbria.html) ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/43 "2018-05-23T08:37:57Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > It would then come down to what sounds suitably grand and historic, and isn’t already taken by some non-royal inheritance. Not a great deal of room to manoeuvre. “Duke of Milton Keynes” somehow doesn’t work. After the Union with Scotland, they became quite creative, since they wanted to give royalty titles with links to both England and Scotland, and this involved utilising placenames not previously linked with royal Dukes. So you have Dukes of “Cumberland and Strathearn”, “Clarence and St. Andrews”, etc. And in time Irish place-names come into the mix as well - “Connaught and Strathearn”. In more recent times, however, the fashion has been for one territorial designation attached to the ducal title, with subsidiary titles referring to places in other countries of the UK. So the Duke of Edinburgh, for example, is also Earl of Merioneth (in Wales) and Baron Greenwich (in England). And this has meant a return to more traditional place-names associated with the ducal title. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/44 "2018-05-23T10:19:06Z")
Alex Salmond got into a big row for calling William and Kate the Earl and Countess of Strathearn. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/45 "2018-05-23T10:27:19Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Alex Salmond got into a big row for calling William and Kate the Earl and Countess of Strathearn. Dear me! Then think of the row _you’d_ get into for calling them just plain William and Kate! ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/46 "2018-05-23T16:45:22Z")
So the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will live in Suffolk… Nice wedding prezzy though 🙂 If it’s true of course? > [@](#): > > Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan Markle have been given Framlingham Castle in Suffolk for their family home. > > [https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/prince-harry-framlingham-castle/](https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/prince-harry-framlingham-castle/) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/47 "2018-05-23T17:13:31Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > So the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will live in Suffolk… Nice wedding prezzy though 🙂 If it’s true of course? It ain’t ;). [It’s not fit to house anyone](https://letsgowiththechildren.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/lgw-stock-images/framlingham-castle-880x628.jpg), it’s not a royal property and is managed as a public tourist attraction. That paper also suggests that Donald Trump dressed as the Queen to crash the wedding, which seems…unlikely. Maybe :D. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533/48 "2018-05-23T17:18:33Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > So the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will live in Suffolk… Nice wedding prezzy though 🙂 If it’s true of course? A news source with the strapline “You couldn’t make it up!” 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earl-of-wessex-dukes-of-cambridge-and-sussex-how-are-these-names-determined-who-chooses-them/814533.md?page=2)