As William approaches the throne, the titles adopted by the Duchess of Cambridge will change radically.
On February 6, Elizabeth II will celebrate 70 years on the throne of England, which inevitably makes us think about the line of succession and her movements in the future. And one of the royals who will see the most changes as these movements take place will be the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.
When Prince Charles becomes king, William will immediately take his place as Prince of Wales. Traditionally, this title is awarded to the heir to the crown, as it works in Spain, with the title of prince or princess of Asturias – which is currently held by Princess Leonor –, or in Holland, whose Princess of Orange is Amalia, the next queen. .
Likewise, Kate would become Princess of Wales – if she decides to accept the title, as it is optional. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and second wife of Prince Charles, decided not to adopt him out of respect for Diana, who used to bear the title and to whom she appears to be almost permanently attached. It is still a mystery whether Kate will decide to wear it or not.
William, in turn, would take the dukedom of Cornwall, which today belongs to his father, and Charles would take that of Lancaster, which is now held by Queen Elizabeth, and so on as the line of succession progresses. Camilla, for her part, has decided that she will take the title of princess consort when Charles accedes to the throne.
When William comes to the throne, Kate's title will change again and she will become queen consort. This implies that, unlike Elizabeth II, she will not “reign”, that is, she will not have any political or military power, but only receives the title for being married to the king – and William will decide exactly what functions she must fulfill as queen. –. If it is the other way around, as was the case with Elizabeth II and Philip of Edinburgh, her husband receives the title of “prince” because “king” has more weight than “queen.” Hence the late husband of Elizabeth II was known as “Prince Philip” and not “king consort.”
Will Kate Middleton's name change when she is queen consort?
Beyond official titles, to the entire world Kate will be known simply as Queen Catherine. She will also be crowned, although in a much smaller ceremony than William's.
Among other modifications that she may have in her sights is moving to Buckingham Palace and of course, taking on a much tighter schedule, although her salary will also multiply.
Looking even further into the future, if Kate outlives her husband and George, her son, is crowned king, she will carry the title of Her Majesty Queen Catherine, Queen Mother.
