CONTEXT 187 : MARCH 2026 13 WESSEX Editorial Defined by diversity This issue of Context focuses on Wessex. Where, exactly? Good question. For our purposes we do not have to define it precisely. But at a time when regional identity is a hot political issue, in Wessex as in many other parts of England, definitions do matter. When Prince Edward was appointed as Earl of Wessex in 1999, the Wessex Society, which promotes the region’s cultural identity, assumed that ‘Wessex’ must be officially defined. That, for the society’s purposes, would be useful. So it asked Buckingham Palace what the exact boundaries of Wessex were. The palace refused to be drawn into those choppy waters, knowing that defining the region might be seen as the first step to recognising its real identity and eventually (who knows?) its right to self government. So the Wessex Society was told that in the context of the title ‘Earl of Wessex’, Wessex did not have a specific meaning, any more than the Duke of Edinburgh has definable rights over Scotland’s capital. Confusingly, the Earl of Wessex and the Duke of Edinburgh are currently the same person. Even more confusingly, the current Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) does not use his Earl of Wessex title, but his son (James) does, by right of being not the ‘substantive holder’ of the title, but the ‘courtesy holder’. You didn’t know that, did you? Actually, it is said that the reason Prince Edward became Earl of Wessex was because he had recently enjoyed the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, and particularly the fictional character of Lord Wessex, a man of little integrity, played by Colin Firth. The prince asked the Queen to revive the title for him, and she was happy to oblige. Even when Wessex did officially exist, as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom from around 519 to 927, and an earldom from 1016 to 1066, its boundaries were fluid, depending on the latest state of hostilities against the Mercians, the Britons or the Vikings. But Context has plenty of solid characteristics to focus on, as in this issue we highlight aspects of the region’s geology, culture, architecture, industry and history. Daniel Cantrell writes (page 17) that ‘the great variety within the region can best be appreciated and understood by travelling through it, and enjoying the diversity of this wonderful place.’ Enjoy the taster that we offer here. Map by Rob Cowan
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