A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer, as well as certain officials such as some judges and members of the Scottish gentry. These styles are used "by courtesy" in the sense that persons referred to by these titles do not themselves hold substantive titles. There are several different kinds of courtesy titles in the British peerage system.
If a peer of one of the top three ranks of the peerage (a duke, marquess or earl) has more than one title, his eldest son – himself not a peer – may use one of his father's lesser titles "by courtesy". However, the father continues to be the substantive holder of the peerage title, and the son is only using the title by courtesy.
By that logic, the elder son of the Duke of Kent is not technically THE Earl of Saint Andrews: his father is. The son simply uses this as a courtesy title. So he would really be George, Earl of Saint Andrews. But that's not how he seems to be referred to.
Shouldn't James be The Earl of Wessex too ?
No, because James is not *the* Earl of Wessex, his father still is. I don’t think it really makes for great grammar so I would personally still say “the Earl of Wessex”. In normal conversation though he would just be called ‘Lord Wessex’.
http://europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com/415
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