Charlotte Foster
Family & Pets

A new era for the House of Windsor: How Her Majesty's death will affect royal titles

As the world mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family is shaking up their official business structure to accommodate for their "great sadness".

Following the death of Her Majesty at age 96, the man formerly known as Prince Charles is now officially King Charles III, as announced by British Prime Minister Liz Truss this morning and later confirmed himself in an emotional statement.

King Charles III is not the only one who has come into a new title after the death of Queen Elizabeth, as the entire royal family will see a change in their official titles as the line of succession has shifted down a generation. 

Camilla is soon to be known as Queen Consort, as per the late Queen Elizabeth's wishes, forgoing her title of the Duchess of Cornwall. 

Prince William is now first in line for the throne, meaning his title is expected to change from Duke of Cambridge to the titles his father held before ascending the throne: Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.

While the title is not yet official, Prince William and Kate Middleton, formerly the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have changed their social media pages to read: "The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge."

To align with her husband's new title, Kate is set to become the Princess of Wales: a title that has not been used since Princess Diana married King Charles in 1981. 

Out of respect, Camilla chose not to use the title Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Charles in 2005.

"It's hard to see it not happening. I'm sure it'll be a bit of a bittersweet moment," a source told The Telegraph in January this year of what is expected to be Kate's title.

"This is [Diana's] son and his wife, so in some ways, it will be coming full circle – but it will also be a poignant reminder of what we all lost."

It's not just senior working royals who will come into new titles, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, three, and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, one, are entitled become Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Current guidelines laid out in 1917 in a Letters Patent by King George V – the Queen's grandfather – say that the children of the sovereign, the children of the sons of the sovereign and the eldest male son of the son of the Prince of Wales would all be titled as prince and princesses.

All the children and grandchildren of the current monarch are ultimately bestowed the prince or princess title, but it is unclear if Harry and Meghan will accept the titles for their children – or if Charles will allow it, which, according to previous reports, it seems he will not.

Image credits: Getty Images 

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family & pets, royal family, succession, titles, Queen Elizabeth