How Edward was denied the same honours as Charles and Andrew

Prince Edward is the Queen's youngest son and has spent most of his life on the royal peripheries, steering clear of the spotlight.

But just because he's not the most well-known prince doesn't mean he's any less of a royal, making it all the more curious that he was forced to wait 20 years for the same honours his brothers, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, received years before.

Unlike his brothers, Edwards had to wait until his 55^th birthday last year to receive a Scottish title from the Queen, which both of his brothers already had.

Charles was given a Scottish title when he was just four-years-old, when Her Majesty ascended the throne and as her heir, he was named Duke of Rothesay, which comes with the ancient Scottish titles of Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

It's a mouthful, but as heir apparent, Charles was entitled to many – well – titles.

Given that Edward wasn't even born yet, it's understandable that he wasn't given a title at the time, but questions arose following Andrew's 1986 wedding.

He and Sarah, Duchess of York, were given the titles Earl and Countess of Inverness by the Queen, in addition to their English titles Duke and Duchess of York, and Northern Irish titles Baron and Baroness Killyleagh on their wedding day.

It's traditional for Her Majesty to bestow titles upon a royal couple on their wedding day, and she bestowed the Scottish titles upon them alongside their English and Irish ones.

But when Edward wed Sophie in 1999, they were named only the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Her Majesty adding no Scottish titles.

It was a small difference, but a noticeable one, making Edward the only one of her sons without a Scottish title.

And he remained the only son without one until March last year, when he and Sophie were named Earl and Countess of Forfar on his 55^th birthday.

The only catch? The Earldom had been extinct since the eighteenth century.

It's unclear why Her Majesty chose to wait so long to add a Scottish title to Edward and Sophie's collection, and though it's unlikely the prince was concerned by the long wait, we're sure he was glad to receive that birthday present.