Princess Charlotte’s Full Titles: From Cambridge to Wales
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.
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.
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 Dianabefore 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.
