There’s no doubting she’s the modern-day people’s princess, but is Kate Middleton actually a princess?
She’s married to a man who’ll one day be king, much like Princess Diana was.
So why is Kate styled as the Duchess of Cambridge?
Here’s all you need to know about the reason behind the mum of three’s royal title.
Is Kate Middleton a princess?
The Duchess of Cambridge is, in fact, a princess – and “Princess of the United Kingdom” is also listed as her occupation on her children’s birth certificates.
However, there’s a rather complex reason as to why she isn’t styled as Princess Kate, or indeed Princess Catherine.
Read more: Does Kate Middleton get paid? What are her royal duties?
Kate is a princess by marriage, so is entitled to the HRH styling.
In the royal family, women have the title of either princess, duchess, countess or baroness.
And, as we all know, Kate is the Duchess of Cambridge thanks to the dukedom the Queen bestowed on Prince William when they married in 2011.
Typically, the princess title is reserved for biological descendants of the reigning monarch.
This would explain why Princess Charlotte has the title, but her mother, who married into the family, doesn’t.
Why was Diana styled as a princess?
Well, this wasn’t an official title given to the Princess of Wales.
Princess Diana was the name given to her by the public, but it was never her official title.
Read more: 6 things you didn’t know about Kate Middleton’s life before she was a royal
Instead, after marrying Prince Charles, who is the Prince of Wales, she officially became Diana, Princess of Wales.
She took her title from her husband, so if she did want to style herself officially as a princess, her correct title would’ve actually been Princess Charles.
So, in that respect, Kate is actually a princess, but she would only be able to use the title if she referred to herself as Princess William.
What will happen to Kate’s title when Charles is king?
When Charles becomes king, William’s title will change to the Prince of Wales.
This would mean Kate becomes the Princess of Wales.
The public could, however, decide to call her Princess Kate, much like they did with Princess Diana.
It’s also worth noting that Meghan Markle, although no longer a working royal, is also a princess.
In the same way that Kate is Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan is officially Princess Henry, Duchess of Sussex.
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