On the evening of Queen Elizabeth II's death: William and Kate change their titles

Created: 09/09/2022Updated: 09/09/2022 11:49 am

By: Annemarie Goebbel

The machinery started shortly after the palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The line of succession comes into effect.

Prince Charles becomes King Charles, Camilla becomes Queen Consort and Kate and William also get new names.

London – Just a few hours after Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022) had closed her eyes forever, the succession to the throne, ruthless as it may seem to some, comes into force.

With all the consequences also visible on social media.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on the evening of the death of the exceptional regent, Prince William and Kate Middleton also took on new titles.

Change titles: The succession to the throne brings a lot of new names to the royals

The Twitter and Instagram accounts @dukeandduchessofcambridge are now "Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge".

The title of Duke of Cornwall is traditionally borne by the eldest son, now Prince William (40), of the reigning British monarch, hereby King Charles (73), while his wife Kate Middleton takes over the title of Duchess of Cornwall

.

So far, that was the official title of Duchess Camilla (75), who now stands by his majesty as Queen Consort.

Prince William and Kate Middleton still hold the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The titles were bestowed on them by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding anniversary in April 2011 and remain their gift after their death.

The situation is different with the title Prince of Wales, previously the title Charles III.

Although the title traditionally passes to a male successor, that doesn't happen automatically.

Duchess Kate of Cornwall and Cambridge: Well Prepared for Her Future Role as Queen Consort:

Queen biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People that the Duchess studied Queen Elizabeth II so as not to leave anything to chance when her time came.

"She knows what matters.

She'll have absorbed a lot from that queen," Smith said.

Despite being 56 years apart, the late Queen and Kate share similar attributes that the role of Queen entails: stoicism, discretion and loyalty.

It remains to be seen how the Queen's royal motto for public life: "Never complain, never explain" is ordered.

The confusion surrounding the title of Princess of Wales

New titles just hours after the Queen's death: Prince William and Kate Middleton are now the ducal couple of Cornwall and Cambridge (photomontage).

© Chris Jackson/dpa & Eugene Hoshiko/dpa

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It must be bestowed on him by the ruler.

King Charles himself received the title of Prince of Wales at the age of nine from his mother, the Queen.

At an investiture at Caernarvon Castle in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II officially crowned Charles Prince of Wales.

Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana, held the title of Princess of Wales by virtue of her marriage in 1981 to then-Prince Charles.

Joy, sorrow, jubilation: The milestones of Queen Elizabeth II's reign

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Diana kept the title even after her divorce in 1996 and practically took it to her grave.

Because although he would have been entitled to Camilla as the legal wife of Prince Charles for many years, the king's wife never used the title Princess of Wales out of respect for the late princess (36, † 1997).

This did not change when Queen Elizabeth II officially wished to see her as Queen Consort alongside her eldest.

Instead, she settled for the lower-ranking title of Duchess of Cornwall. 

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