Kate Middleton Could Inherit Princess Diana’s Official Title Sooner Than Expected

Nov 18, 2020 by apost team

All members of the Royal Family receive an official title before their name as titles show the position and ranking of a member within the Royal hierarchy. Currently, the next-in-line to the throne is the Prince of Wales, Charles, whose former wife, Princess Diana, was naturally given the title Princess of Wales.

If Prince Charles is to succeed the throne in the coming years, Kate Middleton, who currently holds the title Duchess of Cambridge, may become the next Princess Of Wales. Some Royal Experts predict that the Queen may choose to abdicate the throne after her 95th birthday, which is now less than a year away.

Titles can be confusing for those of us who do not have an intimate knowledge of how they work. The strict hierarchies within the Royal family mean that a title is the best way to help other important members of society understand the ranking of a member in the Royal chain of command. There are, of course, rules to who can actually inherit a certain title. Those born into the family are distinguished from those who are married into it, for example. 

In the case of Kate Middleton, her marriage to the Royal family not allow her to automatically hold the title of "Princess", regardless of her husband's inherited title as Prince. However, the Queen bestowed the title of Duke and Duchess on the married couple when they married in April 2011 and has been used as a title for Kate Middleton ever since. Prince William retained his title as a Prince along with his new title as the Duke of Cambridge. 

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Interestingly, spouses who marry the reigning monarch, or the Sovereign, are also not automatically given the title of "King" or "Queen". Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne after her father's death in 1952, and being the daughter of a reigning monarch gave her the rightful title of Queen. Her husband, though he has Royal roots himself, was not called a King but rather the Prince Consort. The Queen officially named him a British Prince a decade after she took the throne. 

Over the years, there have been speculations about when the current Queen would abdicate her powers and hand the throne over to her son, Prince Charles. After all, Queen Elizabeth is currently 94 years old and has served her country quite well over the almost 70 years of her reign. As per Harper's Bazaar, a royal expert believes that the Queen will step down after her 95th birthday, which is on April 21, 2021. How would this move affect the current royal titles? 

Once Prince Charles ascends the throne, it is up to him to hand down his title as Prince of Wales to the next-in-line: Prince William. If this happens, it would mean that Kate Middleton will receive then the title Princess of Wales. This title was famously last held by Kate Middleton's late mother-in-law, Diana Spencer. She was better known to the public as Princess Diana and has long been the subject of public attention, adoration, and speculation, especially after her tragic and untimely death in 1997. 

If Prince Charles ascends the throne and chooses to give Prince William his old title, and if the Queen does step down from the throne in 2021, that would result in Kate Middleton becoming the new Princess of Wales sooner rather than later, reports Express UK. 

In the future, when Prince William takes the throne, Kate Middleton will then receive the title "The Queen Consort" and will not automatically become a Queen. Their daughter Charlotte, however, can one day be a Queen just as her great-grandmother is now. This is because Princess Charlotte is born into royalty and not married into it, and it is also why she is automatically a "Princess," unlike her mother. 

After Princess Diana's death, the title Princess of Wales has not been used again. Camilla Parker Bowles, whom Prince Charles married in 2005, assumed the title Duchess of Cornwall out of respect to the late Princess Diana. The tumultuous marriage between Prince Charles and Princess Diana was the subject of intense media scrutiny and public interest for many years. Princess Diana held high public support, and was informally known as "The People's Princess."

Kate Middleton's marriage to Prince William was met with approval in the Royal family, and the Queen was "absolutely delighted" for the couple, as per BBC. They share three children, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2. They play a large part in carrying out duties on behalf of the Sovereign and continue to be a part of Royal engagements.

Their Instagram page has given the public a glimpse into their lives, and the couple has helped to make the Royal Family more relevant and modern today. Recent television series, such as The Crown, have also renewed interest and curiously by people around the world into the Royal Family's history, legacy, and a new perspective into the Royals' lives. 

What do you think about Kate Middleton becoming the next Princess of Wales? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to share this story with your friends so that they too can be part of the conversation.