My answers are based on a lovely little book called Titles and Forms of Address: A Guide to Their Correct Use (14th edition, Adam & Charles Black, London 1971). Highly recommended.
Q1: I believe that Prince of Wales is a courtesy title (that is, a lesser title belonging to a greater title). In which case, it belongs not to the heir to the throne, but to the eldest son of the King. So Henry XX, King of England, is also styled Prince of Wales before he has any children, but when Mortimer is born he becomes Prince of Wales.
Q2: In traditional succession, if Henry and Mortimer are killed, Edgar becomes king (not Bernard). Of course, if Edgar is in his minority (I'm not sure what the age of majority is), then he would have some advisers or perhaps a regent, which probably would include his uncle Bernard. Bernard would be the heir to the throne (until Edgar has a child), but he would not be the Prince of Wales, since he is not the current king's eldest son. If Bernard did usurp the throne and become king, Edgar would immediately cease to be Prince of Wales; Bernard would have that as one of his titles until he had a son to take it.
Q3: Already answered above. If Bernard usurps the throne and has a son, most likely Edgar goes to the Tower, or some isolated house in the country, and conveniently disappears. :)
Q4: Answered above. Edgar is either King or persona non grata with the usurper. He could be made a duke or something if Bernard is feeling generous, but I suspect that is unlikely.
Q5: Hortense remains Princess of Wales after Mortimer's death. Here are the rules about dowagers: "A dowager peeress is the earliest surviving widow of a preceding holder of the title, irrespective of her relationship to the existing holder. She may thus be mother, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, etc." and "If the existing peer has no wife, the widow of his predecessor usually prefers to be addressed as if her husband were still alive ..." (p. 40) In other words, she becomes the Dowager Princess of Wales at the death of her husband, but she can sort of pretend not to be the dowager as long as there's no real Princess of Wales (i.e. until Lucas marries, if he's the current Prince of Wales).
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 09:36 pm (UTC)Q1: I believe that Prince of Wales is a courtesy title (that is, a lesser title belonging to a greater title). In which case, it belongs not to the heir to the throne, but to the eldest son of the King. So Henry XX, King of England, is also styled Prince of Wales before he has any children, but when Mortimer is born he becomes Prince of Wales.
Q2: In traditional succession, if Henry and Mortimer are killed, Edgar becomes king (not Bernard). Of course, if Edgar is in his minority (I'm not sure what the age of majority is), then he would have some advisers or perhaps a regent, which probably would include his uncle Bernard. Bernard would be the heir to the throne (until Edgar has a child), but he would not be the Prince of Wales, since he is not the current king's eldest son. If Bernard did usurp the throne and become king, Edgar would immediately cease to be Prince of Wales; Bernard would have that as one of his titles until he had a son to take it.
Q3: Already answered above. If Bernard usurps the throne and has a son, most likely Edgar goes to the Tower, or some isolated house in the country, and conveniently disappears. :)
Q4: Answered above. Edgar is either King or persona non grata with the usurper. He could be made a duke or something if Bernard is feeling generous, but I suspect that is unlikely.
Q5: Hortense remains Princess of Wales after Mortimer's death. Here are the rules about dowagers: "A dowager peeress is the earliest surviving widow of a preceding holder of the title, irrespective of her relationship to the existing holder. She may thus be mother, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, etc." and "If the existing peer has no wife, the widow of his predecessor usually prefers to be addressed as if her husband were still alive ..." (p. 40) In other words, she becomes the Dowager Princess of Wales at the death of her husband, but she can sort of pretend not to be the dowager as long as there's no real Princess of Wales (i.e. until Lucas marries, if he's the current Prince of Wales).