What We Know About Kate Middleton's Name And Why No One Calls Her Catherine
Before she became Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William's wife was known to the public as Kate Middleton. And after Kate Middleton became Catherine, Princess of Wales, the media and the general public alike continued to use her pre-royal name. While she hasn't released an official statement on the matter, it's been said that she has never preferred the shortened version of her first name. What's more, her nearest and dearest have historically stuck with Catherine — yes, even before she married into the royal family. And yet, she cannot shake the name Kate. (Fortunately, she was able to shake the "Waity Katie" moniker once William proposed and she no longer had to wait to wed the future king.)
Though the Princess of Wales has attempted to leave the name Kate behind, the endeavor has proven to be easier said than done. After all, it's the name royal watchers knew when she first became a public figure. As writer Gloria Feldt told HuffPost in 2013, "Kate Middleton is seen more as a whole person; [she] established an identity for herself, so it's harder to separate that from her name."
When it comes to Catherine's name, there are a lot of twists and turns — and not just because of the "Kate" factor. From title changes to nicknames to rumors, this is what we know about Kate Middleton, er, Princess Catherine's name.
What is Princess Catherine's official name?
Catherine, Princess of Wales, was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. However, when she began dating Prince William in the 2000s, media outlets and members of the general public best knew her as Kate Middleton. After she and William wed in 2011, she was made Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge. She also gained the titles Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus after marrying into the royal family.
Following Queen Elizabeth II's heartbreaking death, Catherine was promoted from the Duchess of Cambridge to Catherine, Princess of Wales. After King Charles III ascended the throne and Prince William became the Prince of Wales in his father's place, Catherine also gained the titles Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, and Countess of Chester.
Catherine has taken all of her titles seriously, but Princess of Wales certainly seems to be her most meaningful title yet. As a source told the Daily Mail in 2022, Catherine "appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path."
The princess has a lot of royal titles behind her name
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has a lot of official titles — and no, none of them include "Kate Middleton." As previously noted, the long list includes Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, and Countess of Chester. The roster also features Countess of Strathearn, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, and Lady Carrickfergus. But wait, there's more.
Of her five military titles, Catherine inherited one from Prince William and was given four by King Charles III. Colonel of the Irish Guards, a title that was William's before December 2022, was Catherine's first honorary military role in the British Army. In August 2023, the king gave her the military titles Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards, Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the R.A.F. Coningsby, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the Air Cadets. The Princess of Wales is also Sponsor of HMS Glasgow, a Royal Navy warship that's currently under construction. In addition to her royal titles and military appointments, Catherine is Patron of Rugby. The title belonged to Prince Harry before the late queen transferred it to the princess in February 2022, formally making her the royal patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League.
In April 2024, Charles cemented his bond with Catherine when he gave her a new title. Per his appointment, she is now a Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour. She is the first member of the royal family to receive this title.
What does Princess Catherine call herself?
As a child, the Princess of Wales went by her first name given at birth: Catherine. There are conflicting reports about which name she used when she began college at St Andrews University in Scotland, the prestigious academic institution where she ultimately met Prince William. While some have said she was nicknamed "Kate" by her peers, others have suggested otherwise.
Whatever the case, the future queen typically uses Catherine, often shortened to "C" in messages shared on social media. During public engagements, she notably introduces herself as Catherine rather than Kate. But again, if someone calls her Kate, she's not one to make a scene. As Hello! noted in 2014, when the royal made a surprise visit to an East London Scouts group, one of the troop members excitedly exclaimed "Princess Kate!" upon her arrival. Gracious as ever, she introduced herself to the kids, telling another boy, "My name's Catherine. Very nice to meet you."
Simon Perry, People's lead royal correspondent, spoke to Vanity Fair about the royal's informal name back in September 2016. "Of course she doesn't mind being called 'Kate' at all," he said. "[The palace] just wants people to be comfortable around her."
What does Prince William call her?
While Princess Catherine clearly prefers to use her full first name instead of the nickname bestowed upon her, once upon a time, Prince William called her Kate in interviews and at public engagements. When the couple sat down with ITV in 2010 to talk about their engagement, William used his future wife's shortened name throughout the interview. Evidently, he decided to stick with the name that the public was familiar with, presumably to avoid any confusion.
After William and Catherine got married, the prince leaned more formal. In a February 2024 TikTok video capturing William talking to well-wishers at the BAFTAs, for example, the prince said, "I'm sorry Catherine isn't here; she does love the BAFTAs." A month later, William referred to his wife as "Catherine" during a tribute speech in honor of Princess Diana. Further back than that, the future king penned a touching Instagram post in April 2021 following Prince Philip's passing, in which he wrote, "Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead."
All that said, Catherine's husband certainly isn't opposed to an informal moniker. William reportedly began calling her "Duchess of Doolittle" after his grandmother supposedly expressed concerns about Catherine's work ethic. As a source told The Sun, "The royals are not very good at communicating with one another so this is one way around it. Nicknames are a way of taking the family tension out of things."
Is she Kate or Catherine to her friends?
As previously noted, it's been said that Catherine, Princess of Wales, went by Kate in college. And according to royal expert Katie Nicholl, she earned a nickname at St Andrews that suggests she made quite the first impression on her peers. In her book "Kate: The Future Queen," Nicholl noted that Catherine was dubbed "Beautiful Kate" during freshman year orientation.
However, a former classmate suggested to the Daily Mail in 2008 that Catherine wasn't called Kate at school after all. "No one ever referred to her as Kate, ever," they said. Noting that the media played a significant hand in making the name Kate Middleton a thing, the source added, "It doesn't irritate her, even when the photographers shout her name out. She's not so precious as to correct them. But her family and close friends have always called her Catherine and that's the way she prefers it."
Even if her college friends did not actually call her Kate, the world certainly did. Catherine was still at St Andrews when her relationship with William was made public, and outlets called her Kate straight away.
The princess reportedly asked to be called Catherine in 2008
In 2008, the future Princess of Wales reportedly requested that members of her friend group call her by her birth name instead of the nickname that had been made popular by the press. At the time, writer Adam Helliker told Express that Catherine, Princess of Wales, was interested in cultivating a more formal image ahead of Prince William potentially asking for her hand in marriage. "I hear that in the past few weeks the former accessories buyer has quietly informed friends that she would like to drop the informal 'Kate' and in future wishes to be known by her full name 'Catherine,'" Helliker said.
A source told Helliker that Catherine reached out to members of her inner circle via email to request that they call her by the more formal of the two names. "Everyone knows it's about to happen with Kate and William, but we were a little surprised about the request to call her Catherine," an unnamed friend dished. "There's a distinct feeling that she has started to become very aware of her position." It's probably worth noting that this reported request took place two years before William popped the question. One might've thought she was getting ahead of herself, but as far as we're concerned, she's just a proactive future queen.
Why didn't she become Princess Catherine after she married Prince William?
Because Catherine, Princess of Wales, does not hail from royal lineage, peerage rules dictate that her name must precede her title. Unlike Prince William, who was born into the monarchy and is thus a prince in status due to being Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, Catherine married into the sovereign family and is not entitled to the birthright title. Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Princess Charlotte are all recent examples of princesses whose title precedes their names because of their blood ties to the Windsor line.
Catherine's late mother-in-law has long been referred to as Princess Diana, but that title isn't technically correct. Rather, the palace styled the late royal's official title as Diana, Princess of Wales. Similarly, Catherine is frequently referred to as Princess Catherine or Princess Kate, but on an official level, she's Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Why does the media still call her Kate Middleton?
When Catherine, Princess of Wales, married Prince William in 2011, her "commoner" name was officially a thing of the past. Or at least it was supposed to be. Members of the general public and the media alike have continued to call her Kate Middleton — especially in the United States. As Simon Perry told Vanity Fair, "One of the reasons [Kate Middleton] still gets used is there are just so many different titles and what have you in the family, that I don't think every ordinary person knows [the difference between them]." After Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022, People recognized that though the Princess of Wales prefers to be called Catherine, the outlet would continue referring to her as Kate Middleton because it was the more commonly searched name for the royal. "In headlines and upon first reference, Kate Middleton will remain so readers can quickly find the stories they are searching," the publication explained.
What's more, people have a connection to the name Kate Middleton. As Boston University British history professor Arianne Chernock told Vanity Fair, the media, especially American outlets, seem to prefer "Kate" over "Catherine." Chernock explained, "It's precisely her middle-class origins, and that name, which won her over to so many people in the first place. So that reminder can only help her."
King Charles reportedly wanted to change the spelling of her name
According to Prince Harry's memoir, "Spare," King Charles III once expressed concern over the spelling of the future Princess of Wales' name. The king and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, allegedly wanted Catherine, Princess of Wales, to change the spelling of her name to "Katherine," as they felt there were already too many royal family members whose names begin with "C." Charles and Camilla apparently believed that if Catherine were to start using "C" for her royal cypher (aka the monarch's official monogram symbol), it might get mixed up with other royal cyphers.
"There were already two royal cyphers with a C and a crown above: Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have another. Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested," wrote Harry. The estranged prince added that his brother, Prince William, was present for the conversation and sat by without comment as their father and stepmother debated the name change on behalf of his wife. (Side note: Though Harry does call her "Kate" throughout his book, it's been said that he typically called her "Cath.")
Is she officially Princess Catherine now that Charles is king?
Following King Charles III's coronation, which formalized his ascension to the throne and the restructuring of the royal hierarchy, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was Catherine, Princess of Wales. As previously noted, her title is not Princess Catherine or Princess Kate, despite the palace bestowing her an official princess title after over a decade of marriage to Prince William. The only manner in which it is technically correct for Catherine to be called princess ahead of her name is if she is referred to as Princess William of Wales.
The day after Queen Elizabeth II died, Charles gave his first official address as king, during which he confirmed he would pass his former title, Prince of Wales, to his eldest son. Additionally, he gave his daughter-in-law the title that belonged to Princess Diana, Princess of Wales. (The Wales title is typically bestowed upon the heir-apparent and their spouse.) Queen Camilla never received the Princess of Wales title out of respect for Diana following her tragic untimely death.
What will her name be when William becomes king?
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will become Catherine, Queen Consort, once Prince William inherits the throne from King Charles III. Of course, the world will know her as Queen Catherine, but her official role will be that of queen consort, a la Camilla, Queen Consort. If Camilla outlives Charles, she will not take the throne. Instead, she will become Camilla, Queen Dowager.
As the royal family's website explains, "Unless decided otherwise, a Queen consort is crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony." When she becomes queen consort, Catherine's responsibilities will largely remain the same as those she currently manages. She will support William as he executes his duties as monarch while also attending engagements, making foreign visits, serving her patronages, and campaigning for additional causes she feels passionately about.
When William becomes king, he will most likely be called King William V — unless he decides to go with a totally different name, of course. While neither Queen Elizabeth II nor King Charles III changed their first names when they ascended the throne, other monarchs, such as King George VI, went with totally different regnal names.
Will her name change again when Prince George becomes king?
If Catherine, Princess of Wales, outlives Prince William, her title may change when their eldest son ascends the throne. If Catherine is still alive when Prince George becomes king, her title would likely become Her Majesty Queen Catherine, the Queen Mother.
The most recent Queen Mother was Queen Elizabeth II's mother, Queen Elizabeth. She became queen consort when Queen Elizabeth II's father, King George VI, ascended to the throne after his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936. When King George VI died and Queen Elizabeth II became the reigning sovereign, Queen Elizabeth assumed the title Queen Mother to prevent any confusion between herself and her daughter. HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother is not to be confused with Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned as the first Queen of England from 1558–1603. Unless Prince George chooses a different regnal name, he will become King George VII, following his great-great-grandfather.