Prince Louis set to miss out on traditional royal title and so could 'generations' to come

Expert and woman&home royal correspondent Emily Andrews thinks this title will be 'on ice' for quite a while

Prince Louis of Wales attends the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 5, 2026
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

As the son of a future King, Prince Louis is destined to receive a more senior title one day, but it apparently won't be the one that we all thought. There are certain titles that are traditionally bestowed on particular people in the line of succession.

The direct heir to the throne is made Prince of Wales and the monarch's eldest daughter often becomes Princess Royal. The second son is usually made Duke of York and yet eight-year-old Louis might be denied this.

Prince Louis of Wales attends the 2026 Easter Matins Service at St George's Chapel on April 05, 2026

(Image credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

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Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie | £9.99 (Was £22) at Amazon

Described as the "most devastating royal biography ever written", this is also the first joint biography of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, the former Duke and Duchess of York. It draws on four years of research and interviews with over a hundred people who’ve never spoken before.

"From what I've been told I think that title will be on ice for at least one or two generations," she declared in the episode released on 16th April.

Prince Louis's great-uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was created Duke of York in 1986 by Queen Elizabeth and he's who most people associate with the title. Andrew's now been formally stripped of this Dukedom and his princely title "notwithstanding" that he vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing against him.

However, his association with the late Jeffrey Epstein and his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office mean that Andrew is still firmly the focus of negative headlines. It perhaps makes sense that Prince William wouldn't want to bestow his disgraced uncle's former title on his younger son.

Andrew and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

When asked if the Royal Family have other titles they can bestow upon Louis instead when the time comes, Emily confirmed, "There are other Dukedoms that are vacant". One of these, as Reverend Coles noted, is the Dukedom of Clarence.

The Dukedom of Windsor also hasn't been granted to anyone else since 1972 when Queen Elizabeth's uncle died. He was formerly King Edward VIII before he abdicated and married American divorcee Wallis Simpson. This was a huge scandal at the time and severely affected his relationship with the Royal Family.

With this in mind, perhaps this title also has a little too much "baggage" in recent memory to be given to Prince Louis. Getting a different title might feel like a fresh start and the eight-year-old isn't the only one who might be moving away from tradition.

Princess Charlotte of Wales attends the 2026 Easter Matins Service at St George's Chapel on April 05, 2026

(Image credit: Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty)

Emily Andrews discussed how there's been talk of Princess Charlotte becoming Duchess of Edinburgh in her own right one day. She claims "James, Edward and Sophie's son is not going to become Duke of Edinburgh" and Edward only retains the Dukedom for his lifetime.

Princess Charlotte cannot be made Princess Royal, as is customary for a monarch's eldest daughter, whilst Princess Anne is alive. She has the honour for life and only then will it revert to the crown.

Having new titles only associated with them might be a nice change for Louis and Charlotte and it's likely they won't receive any for many decades in any case, as William was only created Duke of Cambridge when he got married.

Emma is a Royal Editor with nine years of experience in publishing. She specialises in writing about the British Royal Family, covering everything from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her extensive royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!

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