When Prince William and Kate Middleton got married, the Queen made them Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Now that the Queen has passed away at the age of 96, with the former Prince Charles set to ascend to the throne as King Charles III—and now that Prince William is heir to the throne rather than Charles—what will Kate Middleton be known as now?
Well, the duchess' titles will depend on which titles Prince William is granted at this time. Firstly, in the aftermath of the Queen's death and his father's ascension, William will automatically become Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, two titles which have been held by Prince Charles since Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952. That means that Middleton will now become Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Rothesay in Camilla Parker-Bowles' place.
But before you start thinking about how weird it is that Middleton will no longer be the Duchess of Cambridge, she actually will still hold that title, as royal expert Iain MacMarthanne told Marie Claire UK. Whether she will still commonly go by that title is another matter.
Now for the uncertain part: Prince Charles can choose whether or not to pass his title of Prince of Wales onto his successor, but it isn't automatic. That said, according to the Prince of Wales official website, "it is normally passed on when the existing Prince of Wales accedes to the throne." That means it's likely that Prince William will be "created" Prince of Wales, making Kate Middleton Princess of Wales (the first one since her husband's mother Diana). Since this would be her highest title, it's very possible that the couple heretofore known as the Cambridges might choose to become known as the Waleses instead, but this part will remain speculation until formal announcements are made.
-
Celebrate Earth Month With Our Feel-Good Fashion ReportYour guide to being more sustainable in 2024.
-
Anne Hathaway Details the "Gross" Audition Request She Once Endured"Now we know better."
-
The Emotional Ending of 'Baby Reindeer,' ExplainedNetflix's latest miniseries from Richard Gadd is based on the true story of the comedian and his stalker.
-
Prince William Makes Moving Promise About Princess Kate at His First Public Appearance Since She Revealed She Has CancerHe also revealed his youngest child Prince Louis’ favorite sport while at the engagement.
-
As He Prepares to Return to Royal Duty Tomorrow After Nearly A Month Away, Prince William Is Struggling with “Immense” Pressure, Reports Say“There’s a lot at stake, and he does need support.”
-
Prince William Single-Handedly Planned His and Kate Middleton’s Romantic HoneymoonKate had no idea where they were headed on their two week luxurious break from reality until after their 2011 wedding.
-
Princess Diana Revealed to a Royal Author the Real Reason Why Her Marriage to Prince Charles Ended Not Long Before She Died in 1997And no, it apparently wasn’t Camilla Parker-Bowles.
-
Meghan Markle Thinks Prince Harry Is "Making a Big Mistake" in Wanting to Reach Out to William, Kate: SourceShe's worried he'll get hurt again.
-
Princess Diana Told Queen Elizabeth Through Tears That Her Then-Husband Prince Charles Was “A Nightmare” and That She “Hated” Him, Royal Author ClaimsIngrid Seward’s new book examines the relationship between mother and son, Her late Majesty and her heir, Charles.
-
Prince William and Prince George Enjoy Boys' Night Out at Soccer GameThey cheered on their team.
-
Prince William Steps Out at a Pub in Norfolk with Someone We, Quite Frankly, Weren’t ExpectingThe Prince of Wales and his family remain in Norfolk at their country home, Anmer Hall, while the kids are on Easter break from school.
