What will Kate Middleton's title and Prince William's title be when Charles becomes King?

Prince William and Kate Middleton's titles are currently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but they will both receive new titles when Prince Charles takes the throne.

• Catherine became Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William in 2011.
• Prince William’s father Prince Charles is the heir apparent and is one day expected to be King, which means that the Cambridges will receive new titles.
• In other royal news, this is the one thing both Princess Diana and Meghan Markle wanted from the Queen, according to royal expert.

When Prince Charles ascends to the throne, Prince William’s and Kate Middleton's titles are expected to undergo a major change, as they will no longer be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

The couple, who recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, were endowed with the honorable titles by the Queen just a few hours after they tied the knot in April 2011. Many royal fans have wondered over the years is Kate Middleton a princess? And, if so, why she never uses the princess title. 

She technically could be referred to as a princess, being married to Prince William, but she would be known as Princess William, rather than Princess Kate. Instead, chooses to follow the theme of her husband's title and go by Duchess of Cambridge. 

However, she will officially become a princess when Prince Charles, the eldest of Queen Elizabeth's children, becomes King—and here's why. 

Will William become the Prince of Wales? 

While it is thought that Prince William will take on his father's title of the Prince of Wales, it's not guaranteed. The title is not automatically passed on to the next generation, and it will be up to William's father, the current Prince of Wales, to make the final decision. 

Prince William has been second in line to the British Throne since birth, but that is set to change once his father becomes King of England. When Charles becomes King, Prince William will take on the title of heir apparent, the title currently held by Prince Charles himself. 

What will Kate Middleton's title be when Prince Charles is King?

Duchess Catherine will become the Princess of Wales when Prince Charles becomes King, a title which was once held by the late Princess Diana. As the male heir to the throne, Prince Charles is the current holder of the traditional title, the Prince of Wales.

When Prince Charles becomes King, it is expected that Prince William will become the Prince of Wales, as he will then be the heir apparent. Kate will therefore be known as Catherine, the Princess of Wales. 

This would be the same title Duchess Catherine's late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, received when she married Prince Charles in 1981—she was styled as 'Diana, Princess of Wales'.

Who currently holds the Princess of Wales title?

The current holder of the Princess of Wales title is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, but she does not use the title publicly out of respect for Princess Diana, who died in 1997. 

 "Camilla was not popular or well-liked, [though] this has changed a lot since the marriage as Camilla has taken on a lot of patronages and Charles is a lot happier," explains royal expert Marlene Koenig. 

"Still, [there was] a lot of tension and anger among a certain element of the population—so it was decided that Camilla would be styled as the Duchess of Cornwall, even though, of course, she is the Princess of Wales."

Prince Charles is the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history, having first acquired the title in 1958.

The traditional title was first used by an English heir to the throne back in the 14th Century. However, the title is not automatically given to male heirs.

As the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL) explains, “Charles was created Prince of Wales in 1958 when he was aged 10, with an investiture at Caernarvon Castle in 1969.

“As an adult, Prince William might expect to become Prince of Wales soon after his father's accession; but that will be a matter for the new King to decide because, strictly, the title is not heritable.”

Will Kate Middleton become Queen of England?

It is thought that Kate Middleton's title will be known to most of the world as Queen Catherine when Prince William becomes King of England, according to royal expert and author of the blog Royal Musings Marlene Koenig. But as Catherine is not of royal descent, she, like Camilla before her if Prince Charles were to become King, will become a Queen consort. Only women who are born into the royal family, such as Kate's daughter Charlotte, can take the official title of Queen. 

Duchess Catherine will take part in a crowning ceremony similar to William's, on a smaller scale. On the official coronation page on the Royal Family's website, it explains, "Unless decided otherwise, a Queen consort is crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony." It is also thought that William and Catherine will take up residency together at Buckingham Palace for the duration of William's reign as King of England.