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By James Crawford-Smith
Royal Reporter
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Since her birth on May 2, 2015, as the second of Prince William and Princess Kate's three children, Princess Charlotte has been considered a senior member of the royal family and holds a title that reflects this status.
Upon her birth, Charlotte was actually the beneficiary of a rule change that had seen Queen Elizabeth II sign into law an amendment to the The Succession to the Crown Act in 2013, which put an end to the system of male primogeniture within the monarchy.
This ended a system that saw younger brothers displace older sisters in inheriting the crown. Charlotte would be the first princess not to have her place in the line of succession changed when her younger brother was born.
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Charlotte was also the beneficiary of another rule change. Prior to her birth, Queen Elizabeth changed the protocols laid out by her grandfather, King George V, in 1917 that stated only the children, grandchildren (through the male line) and eldest son of the Prince of Wales could be styled as "Prince" or "Princess of the United Kingdom."
Under the old rule, Charlotte's older brother George would have been styled a prince, but she and younger brother Louis would not.
Newsweek looks at Princess Charlotte's full titles and how they have transformed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Princess Charlotte's Full Title
As of 2024, Prince William and Princess' Kate's only daughter bares the title: Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Wales.
The Her Royal Highness (HRH) style comes by virtue of the rule change to the George V protocols of 1917, which as well as controlling the royals who can be called prince or princess, also determines the use of the HRH.
As a daughter of a prince, Charlotte is a "princess of the blood," meaning she is a princess by virtue of birth, not marriage. As such she has the right to be known as "Princess" followed by her first name "Charlotte."
Her mother, Princess Kate, is not technically entitled to be styled as such as she is a princess by marriage only. However, like Princess Diana before her, Kate has become informally known as "Princess Kate" or "Princess Catherine" to the media and public.
The "Wales" suffix to Charlotte's name applies as she is the daughter of Prince William, who since September 9, 2022, has been the Prince of Wales.
Princess Charlotte's Past Titles
Prior to September 9, 2022, Princess Charlotte had two title changes.
When she was born in 2015, Prince William and Princess Kate's most senior titles were that of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and so their children used the "of Cambridge" suffix.
When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, Prince William gained a new senior title of Duke of Cornwall. So, "Princess Charlotte of Cambridge" became "Princess Charlotte of Cornwall and Cambridge."
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What Title Will Princess Charlotte Have When Prince William Is King?
When Princess Charlotte reaches adulthood her titles could change yet again.
If and when she marries, the reigning monarch at the time could choose to give her a royal peerage, which has been the tradition for male children and grandchildren of the king or queen in the past century.
Royal author Robert Jobson suggested in his 2023 biography Our King: Charles III: The Man and The Monarch Revealed, that Charles wished for his granddaughter to one day take the title of "Duchess of Edinburgh."
The current Duke of Edinburgh (Charles' younger brother, Prince Edward) holds the title for his lifetime only, after which it will revert to the crown.
If Charlotte is not made a duchess in her own right by her grandfather or father (if William were to be on the throne at the time), she could be given the alternative title of "Princess Royal."
Princess Royal is a title that is given by a monarch to their eldest daughter. There can only be one Princess Royal at any one time. The current holder of the title is Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne.
If, after Anne's death, Prince William were to be on the throne, he could then choose to give the Princess Royal title to Charlotte.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek*'s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on* Newsweek*'s The Royals Facebook page.*
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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