All The Titles Kate Middleton Will Likely Inherit When Charles Becomes King
When Prince Charles ascends the throne, Kate Middleton will be stepping into the roles and titles Princess Diana (and now Camilla Parker Bowles) once held. Once Charles becomes king, everything changes for everyone.
Currently, Kate is Catherine, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge. That title was given to her when she married Prince William (per Showbiz Cheat Sheet). At the time of their engagement, however, there were many reports saying William was pushing for Kate to be called Princess Catherine, Marie Claire reports. But, the way royal titles work, since Kate wasn't born a princess, the only way she would've been called princess was if took the name "Princess William." The couple were made Duke and Duchess of Cambridge instead.
Kate is also Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. This new title was something Queen Elizabeth gave as a gift to Kate, not something she gained when she married William. Omid Scobie, a royal correspondent, explained on Twitter that this title is given as a way for the queen to "personally thank and honor people who had helped her directly, or represented her across the Empire" — but that Kate is Dame Grand means even more, since this is the highest rank in the Royal Victorian Order (per Harper's Bazaar).
This is who the Princess of Wales is today
Likewise, Camilla Parker Bowles was made a duchess and given the styling of Her Royal Highness when she married Prince Charles. But one thing many don't realize is that Camilla is actually, officially, the Princess of Wales.
Camilla's full title, according to Oprah Daily, is Her Royal Highness The Princess Charles, Princess of Wales and Countess of Chester, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Scotland. As Charles' wife, she was given the female counterparts to his titles.Yet, Camilla decided she would only publicly go by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall to stay respectful of Princess Diana, who is still largely known by the moniker of the Princess of Wales.
When this announcement was made about being called duchess instead of princess, we also learned Camilla would be going by the title Princess Consort when Charles becomes king, rather than queen, per CBC News. Camilla was also just named a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, "the most senior order of knighthood in the British honors system," per People. This, like the appointment to the Royal Victorian Order, is an honor bestowed by the queen herself.
The reason Kate Middleton won't automatically be Princess of Wales
While there is much speculation circulating around whether or not Camilla Parker Bowles will actually take the title of queen, there are also questions revolving around what titles Kate Middleton will be given. Titles aren't automatically handed down; many of them, Independent reports, must be appointed by the sovereign.
In Season 3 of "The Crown," we saw Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales — that's because the heir apparent doesn't automatically become prince or princess of Wales. Queen Elizabeth was actually Princess of York before she ascended the throne.
The Prince of Wales title has always been given to the male heir apparent to the throne. The queen, since she was a woman and not a man, was always considered the "heir apparent," meaning she could have been bumped as successor if her father had a son during his reign. Still, whether or not Prince William becomes the Prince of Wales will depend on what Charles decides once he ascends the throne. According to The Constitution Unit at University College London, the Prince of Wales title is not a title that is inherited automatically, even if the firstborn is a male like was the case with Charles and with William (via Express).
Here's what Kate Middleton will be called when Charles becomes king
Prince Charles is the longest-serving Prince of Wales. He was appointed in 1958, when he was nine years old, but wasn't formally installed until 1969 (per Town & Country). The politics of the position is difficult, since there are many in Wales that don't want to be under British rule, a subject touched on in "The Crown."
Many do believe Prince William will be named Prince of Wales, but whether Kate Middleton will be called Princess of Wales is up to her father-in-law. Both William and Kate have a strong connection to Wales. They lived in Anglesey, Wales after they were married, during William's time serving as Search and Rescue for the Royal Air Force (per Hello! Magazine).
But that doesn't mean there aren't other titles Kate will be given automatically once Charles becomes king. William will inherit the title of Duke of Cornwall, Express reports, which will make Kate the Duchess of Cornwall. William also will gain titles in Scotland and Northern Ireland — Duke of Rothesay and Earl of Carrick — which Kate will gain as well.