PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF ULSTER ?

Royal marriages are often accompanied by the bestowal of a ducal title and one assumes that the forthcoming nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be no different. Indeed, unless Harry does receive a new title, Ms Markle could end up as plain old Mrs Wales. So what title might Harry get ?

It might be assumed that Harry will be created Duke of somewhere, but where ? His uncles, Andrew and Edward, were created Duke of York and Earl of Wessex (later to be Duke of Edinburgh) upon their marriages, and the Dukedoms of Kent and Gloucester are in the hands of other Royal Family members. His brother is Duke of Cambridge, his father, Prince Charles, is Duke of Cornwall, his grandfather, Prince Philip, is Duke of Edinburgh and various other dukedoms are already taken up by non-Royals. What's left ?

It has been suggested that Harry might be created Duke of Sussex, a currently vacant title previously used by the Royal Family. There is also the Dukedom of Lancaster, a title that has been merged with the Crown for centuries but which carries with it access to the income of the Duchy of Lancaster, something which could be attractive; however, the Crown may also be reluctant to give up this source of funds. With his brother's title honouring Cambridge, might Harry find himself Duke of Oxford ?

When Prince Edward married Sophie Rees-Jones, he was rewarded with the title of Earl of Wessex, thus reviving an ancient English regional name and a title once held by the King Harold who got an arrow in his eye at Hastings in 1066. Might Harry receive something similar and, perhaps, be created Duke of Mercia, Northumbria or East Anglia ? Another thought is that the government might see some profit in granting Harry a title which emphasises the 'united' nature of the United Kingdom, hence, might he find himself Duke of a Scottish city or region, the Duke of Strathclyde, perhaps or, as a nod to his great grandmother, Duke of Glamis ?

A title which would really send a message would be to create Harry Duke of Ulster. There is already an Earl of Ulster, the son of the Duke of Gloucester, and the creation of such a dukedom would no doubt be welcomed by unionists in Northern Ireland, but disliked by those who wish to see the end of the division between north and south. However, it would make it extremely clear to all, including the government of the Irish Republic and the European Union, that the United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland now and for the foreseeable future. As Brexit negotiations grind inexorably on, it would be a bold and definite signal to those who wish to use the Irish border as a bargaining chip and the negotiations as a means of hastening Irish reunification, but do our masters have the nerve to do it ?

So what will it be ? Any of the above or something entirely different ? All will be revealed next May.