Followinng Queen Elizabeth II death in September 2022. members of the royal family were subject to various title changes. Of course, the then-Prince Charles took on the role of King, but Prince William and Kate Middleton also changed their official titles, too. They had previously been styled as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a gift from the late Queen when they married in 2011, but as Charles became monarch the Prince of Wales title was passed down from him to his eldest son.
It was often assumed that William would inherit the Prince of Wales title from his father, and that consequently, Kate would then be referred to as the Princess of Wales. However, one royal biographer claimed that she almost 'refused' to use it given its history and association with William's late mother, Princess Diana. In Robert Jobson's royal biography, Catherine, The Princess of Wales, he detailed the challenges Kate faced when it came to accepting the title - and why she almost followed in Queen Camilla's footsteps.
He writes: "In marrying the elder son of Prince Charles, Catherine was aware she’d one day have to tread in her late mother-in-law’s footsteps - but the prospect of becoming the Princess of Wales held little appeal. She knew she’d inevitably be compared with Diana, whose untimely death had provoked such a tsunami of anger and grief. And she was right. The similarities and differences between the two women were dissected ad infinitum, and even discussed in the royal household."
Jobson added: "Kate found all such talk stressful. Indeed, it got to the point where she felt she might follow Camilla (who opted to become Duchess of Cornwall) in refusing - when the time came - to be known as HRH Princess of Wales."
When King Charles remarried in 2005, Queen Camilla was styled as the Duchess of Cornwall, officially deciding against using the Princess of Wales title out of respect for the late Diana. However, Kate did decide to accept the title when the time came, and upon the change a source told The Guardian: "The new Princess of Wales appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path."
The couple has used the Prince and Princess of Wales in an official capacity since September 2022.
