Kate Middleton’s Latest Title Has a Special Connection to Princess Diana
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge has many different royal titles as a result of her marriage to Prince William. They include the Princess of the United Kingdom, Countess of Strathearn, and Lady Carrickfergus.
She received all of these on her wedding day, including her most commonly used title: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. Her latest title, however, has nothing to do with being the wife of the future king. Instead, it has a special connection to Princess Diana.
Kate Middleton has only been acknowledged as a princess three times
Even though Kate is technically the Princess of the United Kingdom, she doesn’t use the title in a formal capacity. According to Insider, there’s only been three times that Kate has been officially acknowledged as a princess.
Kate used the title of princess in the occupation title section of her three children’s birth certificates. William and Kate welcomed Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015, and Prince Louis in 2018.
If Kate was to use the title of princess in an official capacity, she wouldn’t be able to use her own name. Instead, she would be “Princess William of Wales.” The only time that Kate will be allowed to use her own first name after her title is when William becomes king.
Blood princesses only
The reason that Kate can’t currently use her own first name with her royal titles is because she’s not a blood princess. This is the term for women born into royalty, like Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
The blood princess rule also applies to Kate’s daughter Charlotte. Because she was born into the royal family, she has the official title of Princess Charlotte. Women who marry into the royal family inherit their husband’s titles, but don’t get their own.
The British royal family follows an old German style of royal wives
According to royal expert and historian Marlene Koenig, the British royal family follows “the older German style of royal wives.” This means that they style the wife by her husband’s name. This is why Kate would be known as “Princess William of Wales” instead of Princess Kate.
Still, the media and fans will refer to her as Princess Kate or Duchess Kate, even if those aren’t the correct titles. The same thing happened in the 1980s and 1990s with William’s mother, Princess Diana.
Kate Middleton is now known as the ‘Children’s Princess’
After marrying Prince Charles, Diana eventually became known as the “People’s Princess” because of her commitment to public service. But just like Kate isn’t Princess Kate, Diana was never officially Princess Diana.
“The press called her Princess Diana as the press still uses Prince Charles even though Charles not been styled as Prince Charles since his mother became queen,” Koenig explained, referencing Charles’ title of Charles, Prince of Wales.
Not using the princess title isn’t the only thing Kate and Diana have in common. They also have a special connection because of Kate’s sweet new nickname.
Kate is well-known for having a natural rapport with young people since becoming a member of the royal family. As a result, she has earned the nickname the “Children’s Princess.” Of course, the title is unofficial. But, it’s a nod to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
What happens when Kate Middleton becomes Queen Consort?
There will come a day when Kate will be able to use her first name with her title – when she becomes queen consort. When Prince William becomes king, Kate’s will be known as Queen Catherine.
However, this title doesn’t mean she has political and military powers like her husband. The queen consort is simply the wife of a reigning king who shares her husband’s social rank and status.
