Following the very sad news that the Queen has passed away at the age of 96, Prince William and his wife of over a decade, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge (also widely known as Kate Middleton) have inherited new titles.
As is custom once the reigning monarch passes on, those in the line of succession move up a place and titles are passed down. Previously, the couple were known simply as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn while in Scotland, or Baron and Lady Carrickfergus when in Northern Ireland). Now, they have adopted the monikers Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Previously, King Charles III (formerly known as Prince Charles until his mother's death on 8 September) and his wife, Camilla, who is now the Queen Consort, held the title of 'Duke and Duchess of Cornwall'.
What is Prince William's new title?
In her first official public speech, King Charles III declared that Prince William has been granted the title of Prince of Wales, an honour given to the heir apparent (which he now is, as his father is King). Catherine was also gifted the title of Princess of Wales too, which is especially poignant, given the last Princess of Wales was Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, who tragically died 25 years ago.
That title was not passed on to Camilla, Queen Consort, as a mark of respect.
Addressing the nation, His Majesty said, "As my heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which has meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall [...] Today I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.
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"With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground, where vital help can be given."
The newly christened Prince and Princess of Wales have already updated the bios on their social channels to reflect this new change:
Only yesterday, the couple briefly updated their social accounts to the 'Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge':
Over on Twitter, their handle remains @KensingtonRoyal but their bio has been amended to read 'Prince and Princess of Wales'.
Prince William has now left Balmoral and returned back to his family in London; Catherine remained at home with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who all started back at school this week.
Our thoughts are with all of the Queen's loved ones during this very sad time.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
