Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and his wife got title upgrades from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the Prince and Princess of Wales after they were bestowed upon them by King Charles. Today, they are officially known as William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
But there was another name the princess was referred to by more often than her Duchess of Cambridge title and most people are surprised to learn that even William called her that. Here’s the video of the prince using that nickname several times, plus which royals drew anger when they also used the name to refer to the princess.
The name Prince William repeatedly called the princess throughout an interview
From the moment the prince and princess went public with their relationship while in college, William’s girlfriend became known to the world as Kate Middleton. But royal watchers know that neither of them are fans of her old nickname as the future queen prefers to be called “Catherine.” That’s the reason some found it so surprising to see a time when William actually called her that too.
Following the announcement that they were engaged in November 2010, the two sat down for an interview with journalist Tom Bradby. William and his bride-to-be got candid about their relationship and brief split. They also shared how the prince proposed and showed the engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana. It was during that interview William affectionately referred to his then-fiancee as “Kate” repeatedly.
After their wedding in April 2011, William has refrained from calling her Kate and uses “Catherine” instead. Therefore, the video remains one of the last times William was heard using the nickname “Kate” publicly.
The family members who caused anger when they referred to the princess by that name
While many members of the public still call the princess Kate, members of the royal family know better and do not call her that which is why a message for her from Prince Harry and Meghan rubbed people the wrong way.
On March 22, 2024, the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, found out about their sister-in-law’s cancer diagnosis the same way the rest of the world did; via her video message. The couple then issued a statement that read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
The Sussexes’ message to the princess was slammed by a number of royal watchers for a few reasons. Some had a problem with the statement being so brief and “generic,” while others called it “tasteless” since they made it a point to call her “Kate” and not the “Princess of Wales.”
One of William’s friends told The Daily Beast that the prince “takes offense at people calling Catherine ‘Kate’ because she has asked to be known as Catherine. It’s a fairly simple wish to respect. I’m sure Meghan wouldn’t like it if William started publicly calling her ‘Meghan Markle.’”
