In case you missed it, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child.
(We’re kidding, you could have been living in the Amazon and still have known about this.)
Speculation around the unborn royal’s gender and name aside, it got us thinking about the royal children and what happens to the next generation, say when Prince George and Princess Charlotte start having kids.
(Yes, we know, we’re getting ahead of ourselves, but still…)
What will their titles be?
Well, it seems that despite the royal ruling that Kate and William's firstborn would have eventually rule, no matter what their gender, there's still some sexism in that British royal rulebook.
Prince George is third in line to the throne and his children, (assuming he has them) will be known as Prince and Princess.
However, his younger sister Charlotte's children will not hold the title of Prince or Princess.
The associate director of Debrett's - authority on all things royal - Lucy Hume told Town and Country magazine it's very much gendered.
Listen: The Princess Myth is BS anyway. (Post continues.)
"Royal titles are inherited through sons, so if Princess Charlotte has children they would not automatically inherit the titles 'His or Her Royal Highness,' 'Prince,' or 'Princess'," she said.
We can already see this in practice in that Prince Andrew's daughter's Beatrice and Eugenie are princesses, but their cousin Zara Phillips, the daughter of Princess Anne, is not.
This was really an issue back in the days when the territories that came with those titles actually meant something. Now? Not so much.
Of course, the other way to become a princess is to marry a prince. So then why the hell isn't the former Kate Middleton known as Princess Catherine?
Well, when a woman marries into the royal family, she takes the name of her partner and so Kate's official title is 'Her Royal Highness Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus'. (Yes, really.)
So she's Princess William, technically. Not exactly the name you want to go by.
It also comes into play that a Royal Duke can outrank a Prince, so though we call him Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is his shortened official title and 'Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge' is the correct short version of Kate's official title.
Top Comments
Prince Edward's children are not Prince/ Princess either.. Yes, Princess Anne refused titles for her children when offered - nothing to do with gender.. Prince Edward's children are likewise not Prince/ Princess.. The York title comes with privileges (ie, kids are Princess/ Prince) so that explains Beatrice & Eugenie..
As for the Duchess of Cambridge, she will enjoy a name change if / when Prince Charles goes up a notch and her husband likewise..
I'm not an avid royalist and I am aware of all of this.
There is enough actual gender bias to deal without writing erroneous pieces.. It does not do the cause any favours!. Please at least fact check before you write..
Perhaps these laws surrounding titles hark back to the days when Royal children(daughters) were used as pawns and only married other Royal/, therefore the daughters would adopt their husband's title?