Updated: Mar. 15, 2023
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If Disney movies taught us anything, it’s that when you marry a prince, you become a princess. So it may seem strange that when Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle married into the royal family, we were all expected to call them duch*esses. Obviously, Princess Kate and Princess Meghan sound much better. That got us thinking, how do you become a princess, anyway? And what makes them different from duch*esses? Beginners should check out this chart that breaks down the royal family tree.
It turns out, there are two ways to become a British princess: to be born the daughter of a prince, or to marry one. On top of that, only those born into the royal family can use the title princess (or prince, for that matter) before their name. And those things don’t guarantee it either; for instance, despite being the child of a prince, Harry and Meghan’s baby won’t get a royal title at all.
It’s confusing, because while Kate Middleton is not Princess Kate—her title is Catherine, duch*ess of Cambridge—she is a princess. On her wedding day, she took on her husband’s title, making her Princess William of Wales, in addition to Her Royal Highness, duch*ess of Cambridge. Prince George’s birth certificate also lists her official occupation as Princess of the United Kingdom. Similarly, Meghan, duch*ess of Sussex, could be called Princess Henry of Wales. Here’s why her title, duch*ess of Sussex, is so meaningful, though.
This is also the reason why Prince Andrew’s daughters Beatrice and Eugenie are princesses, but the daughter of Princess Anne, Zara Phillips, is not. A child’s parents can also decide against bestowing the title upon their children, which is why Prince Edward’s daughter, Louise Windsor, is a lady instead of a princess. The BBC writes that Prince Edward and his wife decided against the title. Even if Prince Edward has a new title of the Duke of Edinburgh, himself.
After the royal titles of king, queen, prince,and princesscome the five noble ranks: duke and duch*ess (the members of nobility that rank right below the monarch), marquess and marchioness, earl and countess, viscount and viscountess, and baron and baroness. These nobles are referred to as lords and ladies (the exception being dukes and duch*esses, who are referred to as “Your Grace”), according to Merriam-Webster. Princes and princesses often hold dukedoms.
Of course, the Queen has free rein over all of this. “The monarch may offer to bestow a royal title upon his or her daughter’s children,” says Lucy Hume, associate director of Debrett’s, to Town and Country. “For Peter and Zara Phillips, the Queen offered to give them a royal title when they were born, but Princess Anne and Captain Phillips opted to decline this offer.” The moral of the story is that royal titles are a complicated business—but if you want to learn more, find outexactly how the most famous royals each got their titles.
FAQs
The Difference Between A Princess And A duch*ess
Is a princess higher than a duch*ess? ›
Customarily, a princess ranks higher than a duch*ess, because a princess is a member of royalty, and a duch*ess is a member of the nobility, and royalty outranks nobility in the majority of the world's social class systems. Yet, there may be occasions when a princess might become a duch*ess.
Is Kate Middleton a princess or a duch*ess? ›
Family Life. On 29 April 2011, Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton were married at Westminster Abbey. The couple are now known as The Prince and Princess of Wales, having formally been known as The Duke and duch*ess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
Is Meghan Markle a princess or a duch*ess? ›
After years of drama because of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's separation from the Royal family, there have been discussions regarding stripping the couple of their royal titles. Although the two have officially left their duties and dropped 'His Royal Highness', they are still known as 'Duke and duch*ess of Sussex'.
What does duch*ess mean in royal? ›
In some realms the relative status of "duke" and "prince", as titles borne by the nobility rather than by members of reigning dynasties, varied—e.g., in Italy and Germany. A woman who holds in her own right the title to such duchy or dukedom, or is married to a duke, is normally styled duch*ess.
How did Kate Middleton become a princess? ›
William became heir apparent and inherited the title duke of Cornwall when his father became King Charles III. Catherine thus became the duch*ess of Cornwall and Cambridge. She became princess of Wales shortly after, when the title prince of Wales was bestowed on William.
Does Camilla rank higher than Princess Anne? ›
Who is higher in precedence and seniority: Camilla, duch*ess of Cornwall or Anne, Princess Royal? Since Camilla is no longer The duch*ess of Cornwall, but Her Majesty The Queen she is the preeminent woman in the realm. Therefore Princess Anne the Princess Royal ranks below.
Is princess Camilla a royal? ›
Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales have all received historic royal honours, Buckingham Palace has announced. Prince William becomes Great Master of the Order of the Bath.
What will Princess Kate be called when William is king? ›
The mother of three—who currently goes by Catherine, Princess of Wales—will be formally known as Queen Catherine when her husband Prince William becomes king, royal historian Marlene Koenig recently confirmed to Hello! Magazine. To be more specific, Kate Middleton's official royal title will be Queen Consort.
Was Kate Middleton rich before marriage? ›
Before she got married, Kate was already relatively well-to-do. Her family inherited a trust fund that in 2014 was worth more than £3 million ($3.7 million), according to the Daily Mail. When Kate was born, her father, Michael, was a flight dispatcher and her mother, Carole, was a flight attendant.
Even though Diana was known as 'Princess Diana', Kate is not a princess just because she married Prince William. To become a Princess, one has to be born into the Royal Family such as Prince William and Kate's daughter, Princess Charlotte, or the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne.
Is Lilibet a princess? ›
Princess Lilibet, affectionately known as Lili, is currently seventh in the order of succession to the British throne.
What is the lowest royal title? ›
The five possible titles, ranked from highest to lowest, are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron for men; duch*ess, marchioness, countess, viscountess, and baroness for women.
Why isn't Meghan a princess? ›
Despite her status as a princess, she will never officially go by the title "Princess Meghan" - as this particular designation is reserved for those born directly into the Royal Family. Had she not been granted the Sussex title, Meghan would have been referred to as Princess Henry.
What is the daughter of a prince called? ›
Princess as a courtesy title
For many centuries, the title "princess" was not regularly used for a monarch's daughter, who, in English, might simply be called "Lady". Old English had no female equivalent of "prince", "earl", or any other royal or noble title aside from queen.
What is the highest royal title for a woman? ›
The duch*ess was considered one of the highest honors among female nobility titles, followed by the Marchioness, Countess, and Viscountess. Each title also carried with it certain duties and responsibilities, with women expected to assist their husbands and take on royal duties as requested.
What outranks a duch*ess? ›
duch*ess is the courtesy title for the wife of a Duke. She is not the Duke, her husband is. Duke is a the highest rank in the Peerage.
What is the order of the nobility? ›
The titled nobility are part of the peerage, which shares the responsibility of government. The peerage comprises five ranks, which are, in descending order, duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.
Does a princess outrank a duke? ›
But a royal Duke, such as the Duke of Cambridge (aka Prince William), outranks his female relatives who are princesses because in the line of succession, he comes before them.
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