Beatrice Duchess of York

[PaulaB]

Do you think this could happen considering that Princess Alexandre was enabled to inherit the title of Duchess of Fife from her father as there where no male heirs?

[Curryong]

I don't believe that Beatrice will inherit the title Duchess of York, no I don't. Not in the absence of statute legislation that would involve the entire British peerage. It has happened before in the ordinary peerage. Occasionally peers in the absence of sons do ask that the eldest daughter inherit 'by special remainder' as it's called. Lord Roberts, an Earl and famous General did so for his elder daughter as his only son was killed in the Boer War. Also, as you've stated, the Duke of Fife did so for his elder daughter.

However, these were non-Royal peerages and the Dukedom of York has been associated with the British/English Royal family since early medieval times. If Beatrice inherits the Dukedom of York (the title Duchess is normally used for the wife of the Duke) and  doesn't have children then the title would go to Eugenie probably if still alive at that time and then to her eldest child (if she has any) sending this ancient title, (almost always given to the second son of Kings) out of Royal orbit altogether and to another family entirely.

If there is legislation then it could happen I suppose, but it would be rather a shame IMO, historically speaking. Anyway, I doubt that Beatrice wants a dukedom and I certainly don't think Eugenie does. She apparently gets annoyed now when friends tease her about her title.

[PaulaB]

I don't believe that Beatrice will inherit the title Duchess of York, no I don't. Not in the absence of statute legislation that would involve the entire British peerage. It has happened before in the ordinary peerage. Occasionally peers in the absence of sons do ask that the eldest daughter inherit 'by special remainder' as it's called. Lord Roberts, an Earl and famous General did so for his elder daughter as his only son was killed in the Boer War. Also, as you've stated, the Duke of Fife did so for his elder daughter.

However, these were non-Royal peerages and the Dukedom of York has been associated with the British/English Royal family since early medieval times. If Beatrice inherits the Dukedom of York (the title Duchess is normally used for the wife of the Duke) and  doesn't have children then the title would go to Eugenie probably if still alive at that time and then to her eldest child (if she has any) sending this ancient title, (almost always given to the second son of Kings) out of Royal orbit altogether and to another family entirely.

If there is legislation then it could happen I suppose, but it would be rather a shame IMO, historically speaking. Anyway, I doubt that Beatrice wants a dukedom and I certainly don't think Eugenie does. She apparently gets annoyed now when friends tease her about her title.

A royal duke title become non royal after the third generation when the heirs of the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Gloucester inherit these will no longer be royal Duke's Elizabeth or Charles can make it so that Beatrice can inherit as Alexandra did.  I mean if Andrew remarried (Sarah is now to old to have any more children) and has a son his grandson would make the title non royal.

[Curryong]

Yes, but the Dukedom of Kent wasn't even a Royal dukedom until 1799, when it was conferred on Prince Edward, who was the fourth son of King George III and Queen Victoria's father. It's therefore not as ancient as York. Gloucester is, but it was consistently given to younger sons very much down the family line from the Middle Ages onwards. (One of them was given to a fourteenth child!) These men either died without sons or those sons didn't survive to produce children themselves so the Dukedom kept going back to the Crown. It's only in more modern times that there's been a clear line for father to son. Whereas the York title seems to have specifically been reserved for second sons of the monarch, for the most part.

There may be legislation regarding this. If Charles or William are on the throne when Andrew dies, they may choose to give it to Beatrice by special remainder. Or they may not, and might decide to subsume it into the Crown and preserve it again for a second son, perhaps George's. It's all a very long way away, probably. Andrew is overweight but he doesn't smoke or drink and the Windsors are a long-lived lot!