Though it’s been a long time – a whole decade to be exact – since Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, traded in her “commoners” life and name, “Kate Middleton”, for the life of a royal, it appears the Duchess of Cambridge will get a title upgrade in the near future, as the Royal Family goes through a rank change, and the line of succession is adjusted once more, with the recent birth of Meghan Markle, 39, and Prince Harry’s daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, also being taken into account.
After marrying Prince William, 38, in a fairytale style wedding held at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, Kate Middleton and her new husband were given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by Her Majesty the Queen of England, 95. With the new title bestowed on her came great power and responsibilities; from public appearances to supporting worthy causes and taking a keen interest in “early childhood development”; an interest she bonded over recently with America’s First Lady, Jill Biden, at the G7 Summit, the Duchess of Cambridge has excelled in everything thrown her way, over the last decade.
But with potential upcoming shifts and changes in the Monarchy, we could see Kate Middleton trade in her Duchess title for another high-ranking-royal and prestigious title, and it could be sooner than we think.
Ever since the late Prince Philp passed away just a couple of months from his 100th birthday, there have been rumors circulating that Queen Elizabeth could have plans to “step down” and “pass the throne” to her eldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, 72, some publications even suggested it could happen as soon as at the end of the year – but we still think this is highly unlikely, given the Queen has already made plans for next year’s Trooping the Color parade, that honours her “official” birthday on the second Saturday in June.
But never the less, if the Queen were to step down, the change in the hierarchy would leave Kate Middleton’s husband, Prince William, second in line to the throne, meaning bigger titles and responsibilities for the couple in the future.
What will Kate Middleton be known as in the Royal Family after title upgrade?
Once Prince Charles ascends the British throne, and becomes King, Prince William and “Catherine” will no longer be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but as the crown Prince and Princess of Wales! – a title that the late Princess Diana (Prince William and Harry’s mom) is still known by, to this day.
And of course, the 72-year-old Prince won’t be on the throne forever…Eventually down the line, we’ll then see the Monarchy pass from Charles to William, and with this change, Kate Middleton will get another title upgrade once more, and will henceforth be known as Queen Catherine of England. Though officially, she will be a “Queen Consort”, as she isn’t descended from a royal line but rather a Queen through marriage.
What’s the line of succession to the British throne?
According to Royal.co.uk, this is the line of succession to the British throne, below. With a small adjustment to include the newest addition to the Royal Family, baby Lili, who knocked Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank from being 10th in line to the throne, with her birth.
1. Charles, the Prince of Wales
2. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge
3. Prince George of Cambridge
4. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
5. Prince Louis of Cambridge
6. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex
7. Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
8. Lady Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
9. Andrew, the Duke of York
10. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Does Queen Elizabeth have two birthdays?
Yes! – although Queen Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, she celebrates her birthday twice! – Once in the month of April; though celebrations for her actual birthday tend to be quite small, reports claim the Queen usually spends the day celebrating with her family and is only marked by a gun salute in London, although this year it was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the fact that the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family were still in mourning following the passing of the late, Prince Philip. – And once on the second Saturday in June, where typically The Trooping the Colour parade marks her “official” birthday.