Will Kate Middleton Get Her Own Crown When Prince William Takes the Throne?
Kate Middleton’s life will change once Prince William takes the throne. The Duchess of Cambridge will get a new title of Queen Consort and will enjoy privileges fit for a proper monarch. Although Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, will have all the perks of sitting beside William, will she get her own crown when her husband is the King of the United Kingdom?
This will be Kate Middleton’s title when Prince William has the crown
William is currently second in line to the throne followed by his father, Prince Charles. Once Charles has passed on or retired from his post, William will inherit the crown.
There is no telling when William will become king, but we do know that Kate will take on a brand new title when that day arrives. Per the royal family’s official website, Kate will be crowned Queen Consort “in a similar but simpler ceremony” than Prince William.
This is exactly what happened to Queen Elizabeth’s mother when her husband, George VI was crowned. For his coronation, the Queen Mother donned a diamond crown, similar to what Kate will likely wear for William’s coronation.
The Queen Mother adored the crown, which the royals placed on her coffin following her death in 2002. The crown is now housed in the Tower of London and is part of the royal family’s Crown Jewels.
Although Kate has not said anything about which crown she will wear for William’s coronation, experts believe the Duchess of Cambridge will pick a crown that was very dear to Queen Mother’s heart.
The Duchess of Cambridge will likely wear a controversial hand-me-down
Once William takes the throne, Kate will likely don the Queen Mother’s crown. According to The Sun, the majestic headpiece features a 105-carat gem known as the Kohinoor jewel along with 2,800 diamonds.
A royal jeweler, Garrard & Co., made the crown in 1937 for Queen Mother. The Kohinoor jewel is the defining element in the piece, though there is some controversy surrounding the prized gem.
The Sultan of Turkey gifted the jewel to Queen Victoria in 1849 and the royal family has possessed it ever since. But in recent years, India and Pakistan have asked the royals to return the gem to its rightful country of origin.
Before the gem was featured in Queen Mother’s crown, it enjoyed a place in several crowns of Britain’s ruling monarchs. This includes Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra’s crowns. The royals have not commented about the controversy surrounding the stone.
With William’s coronation likely years away, Kate could definitely change her mind about which crown she will pick. But given her penchant for wearing diamond-studded tiaras any chance she gets, Queen Mother’s crown is definitely high on her list.
Will Kate Middleton have to curtsy Prince William when he is king?
When Kate becomes Queen Consort, she will enjoy many of the same privileges as her husband. But when it comes to who is at the top of the royal rankings, Kate will be second only to William.
Every other member of the royal family will have to bow or curtsy to Kate. In turn, Kate will technically be supposed to curtsy to William, as he is a higher rank.
The royal etiquette of bowing and curtsying is closely related to one’s rank within the royal family. Those individuals who are in the line of succession have a higher rank than other royals, and their spouses carry their rank but only when they are in the same room.
Kate, for example, is currently supposed to curtsy to Charles and Queen Elizabeth. She is also expected to greet Prince Philip and Camilla Parker Bowles in a similar manner, but only when they are accompanied by their respective spouses.
Philip is also supposed to bow to Queen Elizabeth, though he rarely does this in public. Bowing and curtsying is also less common behind closed doors, so the chances of seeing Kate actually curtsy William is pretty low.
