Kate Middleton Is Set to Become Princess of Wales, Like Princess Diana Before Her

As the third King Charles in British history ascends the throne, it is expected that his eldest son, Prince William, will inherit his Prince of Wales title

Queen Elizabeth is dead — and there's some shuffling going around in the rest of the royal family in the wake of her absence.

Most notably, the former Prince Charles has inherited the most high-profile title after the death of his mother: King.

As he becomes the third King Charles in British history, the new monarch will abandon his former title, the Prince of Wales. It is expected that his eldest son, Prince William, will inherit it. The title of Prince of Wales is typically given to a male heir apparent. Edward VIII held the title for the bulk of his life before ascending to (and within months, abdicating) the throne.

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However, the title of Prince of Wales won't immediately pass to William upon his grandmother's death: It must be given to him by the sovereign. Prince Charles himself received the title at just 9 years old from his mother.

With William likely becoming the Prince of Wales, Kate will get a title of her own: Princess of Wales. If it sounds familiar, there's a reason: Princess Diana once held the title herself.

princess-diana
Princess Diana and Kate Middleton. Corbis/Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

As well as gaining the Prince of Wales title, Prince William, who is already the Duke of Cambridge, will also become the Duke of Cornwall. With that, he'll inherit the sizable Duchy of Cornwall, which consists of over 53,000 acres of land and a hefty income. This one isn't up to the new monarch to hand down to his son. A charter ensures that the heir apparent and eldest son of the monarch would hold the title and the duchy, meaning Prince William inherited it on the minute of the Queen's death, just as Charles did with the monarchy.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend the "No Time To Die" World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall on September 28, 2021 in London, England
Prince William and Kate Middleton at the "No Time To Die" World Premiere. Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Prince William won't be giving up his Duke of Cambridge title — rather, he'll be a "double duke," as well as a prince. Same goes for Princess Kate, as the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The couple already changed their social media pages to reflect the title change, just hours after the Queen's death was publicly announced.

The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall, Stanford on Soar, Loughborough, where they met with patients and staff and had a tour of the gym and prosthetics workshop.
Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Images

Camilla, the former Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as Queen Consort, as monarch's wives have been in years past. Queen Elizabeth shared her wish for Camilla to have that title earlier this year.

As for William's children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, nothing much should change in how you address them — yet.

One thing to expect, far off in the future, is that Princess Charlotte could be granted the title of Princess Royal. Currently held by the Queen's eldest (and only) daughter, the title is typically granted to a monarch's eldest daughter. When, eventually, Prince William ascends the throne, he could choose to make Charlotte the Princess Royal — this is, if her great-aunt Anne is no longer alive. And of course, if William is the monarch, that means that Prince George will be the Prince of Wales — and the whole cycle begins once more.

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