Posted by Boffer on July 20, 2012, 9:28 pm, in reply to "Re: royal coronets"
Incorrect. Andrew and Edward's titles of Duke and Earl are essentially courtesy titles.
As such, their titles of Prince of the United Kingdom, and their rank as children of the Sovereign mean that they are able to wear the coronet of a Prince, and use this in their coat of arms.
A good indication of the coronet that Princes, Princesses, Peers and Peeresses would and are entitled to wear, is to look at their coat of arms and see which is there depicted.
I created a thread on the coronets that royals are entitled to wear long ago, and it has since disappeared; but it is important to remember that despite having peerage titles, royals will never wear the coronets associated with those titles; they will always wear the coronets associated with their royal ranks - as after all, royal rank is higher in the social precedence than any courtesy peerage titles they may have use of.
Here is a full list of illustrations of the British Coronets associated with the different royals and also peerages, explaining who is entitled to wear which (and use in the heraldry).
It should be noted that there are different coronets for:
- The Heir Apparent (and consort).
Currently HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall are entitled to use this coronet.
- Prince or Princess; the sons (and their wives) or daughters of the Sovereign
Currently HRH The Duke of York, TRHs The Earl and Countess of Wessex and HRH The Princess Royal are entitled to use this coronet; HRH The Duke of Edinburgh has been granted use of this as well.
- Prince or Princess; the sons (and their wives) or daughters of the heir apparent
Currently TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and HRH Prince Henry of Wales are entitled to use this coronet.
- Prince or Princess; children of other sons of the sovereign
Currently HRH Princess Beatrice of York and HRH Princess Eugenie of York are entitled to use this coronet, as are Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor (in their capacity as HRH Prince James of Wessex and HRH Princess Louise of Wessex).
In the wider royal family, this is also the coronet used by TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Kent, TRHs Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.
- There is also a Royal Coronet for Other Grandchildren of the Sovereign (essentially children of the daughters of the Sovereign).
Currently Peter Philips and Zara Tindell have the right to use this coronet, as do Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto.