The Regal Rules for Girls by Jerramy Fine Page A

Michael of Kent? That’s a man’s name! And so on. No matter howhard we try, Americans can’t help but struggle to understand the intricacies of the British aristocracy. And who can blame us? When you’re born in a land where no one is a sir or lord, much less a prince or princess, the very idea of titles that elevate one person over another can be difficult to grasp. That said, I’ve done my best to shine some light on the most popular royal questions Americans tend to ask me…
    Q: Now that Kate is married to Prince William, why isn’t she called Princess Catherine?
    A: Princess titles are tricky. If they are not inherited (as is the case with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie), the woman’s first name cannot be part of the actual title. Diana was
not
Princess Diana—that’s just what we liked to call her. She was The Princess of Wales. Camilla is
not
Duchess Camilla—she is The Duchess of Cornwall. Royal brides do not inherit titles; they merely assume the full title of their royal husband. (However, men do not assume the titles of women—which is why the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, is not king). When Catherine Middleton married Prince William, she technically became Princess William of Wales (yes, a man’s name!) and would have retained this title if William had not received a dukedom as a wedding gift from the Queen. Since William became the Duke of Cambridge, protocol required that Catherine become the Duchess of Cambridge. (Prince William is also Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus, meaning Kate is also Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus.) But Kate is
not
Princess Catherine and she is
not
Duchess Catherine; rather she is officially known as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.
    Q: If Diana had lived, would she have become queen? What about Camilla and Catherine — will they one day become queen?
    A: Technically, yes. If Diana had remained married to Prince Charles when he became king, she would have become his queen consort and known as Queen Diana. However, Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, making this outcome impossible.
    Camilla, currently The Duchess of Cornwall, will technically be entitled to become queen consort and Queen Camilla, but out of respect for Diana’s memory it is suspected that she will choose to remain a duchess. When Prince William becomes king, The Duchess of Cambridge will become queen consort and probably be known as Queen Catherine.
    Q: Can the Queen choose to skip Prince Charles and pass the throne directly to Prince William?
    A: No. The Queen does not have a historic or constitutional right to do such a thing. As it stands, her eldest son, Prince Charles, is next in line to the throne and will become King of England when the Queen dies. Any alteration to the line of succession would require a constitutional change to be voted through the UK parliament and throughout the Commonwealth.
    Q: What is William and Harry’s last name? Is it Wales or Windsor?
    A: Neither. Members of the Royal Family who are titled His (or Her) Royal Highness do not use a last name. Their official
titles
are HRH Prince William of Wales and HRH Prince Henry (Harry)of Wales, but titles are not last names—and “Windsor” is simply the royal house to which the brothers belong. However, throughout their time with the Armed Forces, both princes wanted to simplify things and decided to use the last name “Wales” during all training and active duty.
    Q: Why are some royals given titles like Princess of Wales or Duchess of Cambridge when they are neither from Wales nor from Cambridge?
    A: The Queen bestowed all four of her children with special titles—Charles is Prince of Wales, Andrew is Duke of York, Edward is Earl of Wessex, Anne is Princess Royal. Women who marry royal men automatically take on the title: Diana became Princess of Wales, Fergie became Duchess of York, Sophie became Countess of Wessex—but Captain Mark Phillips, who married Princess Anne, got nothing because