Kate Middleton Has a New Royal Title Following the Queen’s Death
In the wake of 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.
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.
They’ve already updated their official Twitter account to reflect the change.
William and Kate’s Twitter account as of Sept. 8.
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.
There could be more title changes in William and Kate’s future, too. Prince Charles and Princess Diana, his first wife, were also given the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales by the queen. (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 could choose 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.