Kate now has Princess Diana’s former title.
In the wake of .css-1mt1pvh{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1mt1pvh:hover{color:#808080;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Queen Elizabeth II’s death, her eldest son, Prince Charles, the next in line for the throne, will now be known as King Charles III; but he isn’t the only member of the royal family getting a title change. As the line of succession shifts, other titles will also be affected, including those of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Charles’ son and daughter-in-law, respectively. Following King Charles III’s first address today, William and Kate are now the Prince and Princess of Wales. They changed their Instagram handle to @princeandprincessofwales following the news.
Charles announced the title change in his address, saying, via Hello!, “As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades.”
"Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty,” Charles added. “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”
William and Kate, who were named the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they got married in 2011, are now also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall following the Queen’s passing. Their new official titles are: Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, in addition to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Immediately after the Queen’s passing, they updated their official Twitter account to reflect the duchess and duke title changes.
Today, they updated it and their Instagram again to reflect their new Prince and Princess of Wales status.
The Duchy of Cornwall has been traditionally helmed by the eldest son of the reigning monarch. King Charles held this title as the queen’s oldest son while his wife, Camilla, went by the Duchess of Cornwall. After the queen’s passing, and with Charles now serving as king, the honor has been passed down to his eldest son, William.
William and Kate’s new Prince and Princess of Wales title were given by Charles to them, just like the Queen gave the title to him and Princess Diana, his first wife. (Camilla technically became the Princess of Wales when she married then-Prince Charles in 2005, but she chose to go as the Duchess of Cornwall publicly out of respect for the late Princess Diana.) This title is not inherited automatically, but “it is normally passed on when the existing Prince of Wales accedes to the throne,” according to the Prince of Wales’ website, per Marie Claire UK. King Charles chose to do the same, thus making William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
“The new King will have to invest [William] as Prince of Wales, so likely there’ll be an investiture at Caernarfon Castle, as there was for Prince Charles in 1969,” Carolyn Harris, author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, explained to Page Six.
Such plans may be announced in time, but for now, the royal family’s main focus is paying their respects to Her Majesty.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.
.css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}How to Watch Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral
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