Will Kate Middleton's Title Change Now the Queen Has Passed Away?

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.