Secrets and very sweet tribute behind princess Charlotte’s name revealed
Princess Charlotte’s full name and royal title have attracted the attention of royal fans once again following the youngster’s recent appearances at royal events.
The young royal, 9, bears the resonant full name “Charlotte Elizabeth Diana”. Her middle name is a nod to her late grandmother, Princess Diana, as well as her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth also echoes her mum, Kate, who bears the same middle name.
Her first name, Charlotte, is thought to be a tribute to her grandad King Charles, as it is the female form of the monarch’s name.
Prince William and Princess Kate aren’t the only one who have chosen to remember Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana through their children’s names. In 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex introduced their own baby girl as “Lilibet Diana”, with Lilibet being an affectionate nickname used by an inner circle within the Royal Family for the late Queen.
When Princess Charlotte entered the world in 2015, she did so as the great-grandchild of the then-reigning Queen Elizabeth II.
Letters patent issued by King George V in 1917 dictate that the HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) status and the titles accompanying it are reserved for the monarch’s children and male-line grandchildren, and additionally, the first son of the Prince of Wales’ eldest son.
According to this regulation, Princess Charlotte’s older brother, Prince George, would have been the only child in Kate and William’s household entitled to be styled as a prince until the reign of King Charles.
In anticipation of Prince George’s birth, however, Her Late Majesty altered the century-old ruling ensuring that all of Prince William’s children would share equal footing in terms of titles, thereby modernising tradition to reflect contemporary values on sibling equality.
An announcement was made via the London Gazette stating: “The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 31 December 2012 to declare that all the children of the eldest son of The Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour.
Therefore, at her birth, Charlotte was automatically bestowed the style of Her Royal Highness and the title of princess. Princess Charlotte does not possess any title of honour in her own right.
As a result, she adopts the suffix of her father’s highest-ranking title for official purposes. Upon her birth, she was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, as her father’s most senior title at the time was Duke of Cambridge.
When King Charles appointed William as the new Prince of Wales following his accession, Charlotte’s title altered again to Princess Charlotte of Wales.
All three of William’s children will simply become known as The Princess Charlotte, The Prince George and The Prince Louis once he ascends the throne.
