Why Kate Middleton Will Never Be Queen
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge joined the royal family nearly ten years ago when she married Prince William at Westminster Abbey. Currently, William is second in line to the throne behind his father, Prince Charles. But just because William will be king one day, that doesn’t mean Kate will be queen.
Queen Elizabeth is ‘preparing a surprise’ for Kate Middleton’s royal anniversary
This April marks William and Kate’s 10-year wedding anniversary. And according to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, Queen Elizabeth is ‘preparing a surprise’ for her granddaughter-in-law to mark her 10th annivesary as a member of the royal family.
Larcombe told OK! Magazine, “It’s highly likely she’ll be planning a special secret something to honor Kate’s 10 years in the royal family—something she can do to mark it.”
The royal expert explained that Kate and the queen have “a fantastic relationship.” He says that the Duchess of Cambridge “strikes that balance between bowing to her as head of the royal family in public.”
But at the same time, Her Majesty can “check in” with Kate as the great-grandmother to her children.
Larcombe notes that Kate and Queen Elizabeth have stayed in close contact throughout the pandemic via Zoom video calls.
“Kate has her own direct line to speak to the Queen and she calls her to check in on her and give her updates on the children,” he says. “She always leans on her for advice.”
Her Majesty honored the Duchess of Cambridge in 2019
If Queen Elizabeth is planning something special for Kate, it wouldn’t be the first time. Back in 2019, on William and Kate’s 8th anniversary, Her Majesty made her granddaughter-in-law a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
According to Marie Claire, Royal Victorian Order awards are the highest honor that the queen bestows on behalf of the crown. And Her Majesty personally hands them out.
Since the queen has already given this honor to Kate, it isn’t clear what she could be planning for the 10th anniversary. It’s possible that Her Majesty will choose to do something special for Kate in private.
No matter what the queen has planned, it’s obvious to most experts who follow the royal family that Kate and the queen have a very special relationship. Rumor has it, it was the Duchess of Cambridge who taught Queen Elizabeth how to use Zoom so they could keep in touch.
Kate Middleton will one day be Queen Consort but not the Queen of the United Kingdom
As royal fans know, Kate is not only the wife of a future king, she’s also the mother of one. William is second in line behind his father, and third in the line of succession is Kate’s oldest son, Prince George, 7.
But as Express points out, Kate will never have the same powers as her husband or son. Because she married into the royal family – and is not royal by birth – Kate will one day be Queen Consort, the title given to the wife of a ruling king.
This means that Kate would share William’s rank and status. But, she would not have constitutional powers.
There could be one small exception, though. Constitutional expert Iain MacMarthanne says that in the tragic event that both Prince Charles and Prince William pass before Prince George reaches maturity, it would make sense that Kate would step in to rule until George is old enough. However, new legislation would be required for this to happen.
“Unless provided for by Parliament, through legislation, there is no scope whatsoever for a Queen consort to assume regnal power,” MacMarthanne said.
Legislation would be very unlikely. This means that if William died before George reaches maturity to rule, the person who would step in to rule would be Prince Harry.
“Only if Parliament provided otherwise could the now Dowager Queen Catherine become Regent, or Prince Harry be excluded,” the royal expert explained.
