The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 marks the beginning of a new era for the House of Windsor.
As Prince Charles ascends the throne and becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, other members of the royal family have also been given new titles.
Among those using new official titles are Prince William, Kate Middleton and Charles’ wife Camilla Parker Bowles. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet, could also be looking at new royal ranks.
Watch how the line of succession changes after the Queen’s death.
Prince Charles
It may seem obvious that Prince Charles is now the King of England and the British Commonwealth, but he may not be going for King Charles III.
Charles’ full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, and he can choose to use any of those four names as his royal name.
Queen Victoria’s first name was Alexandrina Victoria and King George VI was named Albert Frederick Arthur George. When Elizabeth took the throne, she was reportedly asked what her royal name would be, to which she replied, “My own, of course,” and so she became Queen Elizabeth II.
He may choose to drop Charles because there is a negative connotation around the name. King Charles I was a very unpopular ruler and his reign was fraught with controversy and several civil wars. His reign ended when he was beheaded in 1649.
Charles II, however, fared better and was known as the “Merry Monarch” for his debauched parties. He acknowledged at least 12 illegitimate children by various mistresses, but left no legitimate children to succeed him.
George VII would be a contender in honor of his grandfather, King George VI, and great-grandfather, George V.
Prince Edward
When Prince Philip died in 2021, his title, Duke of Edinburgh, passed to Prince Charles, but now that he is king, he may bestow the dukedom on another family member.
“The title could be recreated for Prince Edward, who is currently presenting the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and has taken on many of Prince Philip’s charities,” said Carolyn Harris, author of “Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting,” said Carolyn Harris. to Vidak For Congress. . “But that’s up to Charles to decide if he wants to recreate the title for his youngest brother.”
Harris noted it’s not guaranteed, as Charles has long talked about streamlining the royal family with fewer and fewer working members, “and the Duke of Edinburgh is a very high-ranking title.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Prince William and Kate Middleton, who have long held the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, got a few more.
William and Kate automatically became the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall upon the death of the Queen, reflected in the renaming their official Twitter account. They also become the Prince and Princess of Wales, a title that Charles and Williams’ late mother, Diana, bore.
“The new king will have to invest him as Prince of Wales, so there will probably be an investiture at Caernarfon Castle, like in 1969 for Prince Charles,” Harris said.
Camilla Parker Bowles
From Duchess of Cornwall to Queen Consort, Camilla Parker Bowles has a new title.
When Parker Bowles married Charles in 2005, she automatically became Princess of Wales. However, she never used the title out of respect for Charles’ late wife, Princess Diana. She has been known as the Duchess of Cornwall since their marriage.
For years it was thought that Camilla would receive the title of princess consort if her husband took the throne, but in February 2022, Queen Elizabeth revealed that she would not take that title.
“When my son Charles becomes king in time, I know that you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own faithful service,” she said at the time.
Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer royals, Charles’ ascension does mean their children could become Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Under current guidelines, which were laid down in a 1917 Letters Patent by King George V, the children of the Sovereign, the children of the Sovereign’s sons, and the eldest male son of the Prince of Wales’s son should all bear the title get with prince and princesses. However, in a 2012 Letters Patent from Queen Elizabeth, she ensured that all of Williams’ children, not just George, would receive the royal titles.
And while Princess Anne’s children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, would not have been included under current guidelines, Elizabeth’s daughter was given the option of giving them the title, but declined.
Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie also refused to be nicknamed Prince and Princess for their children.
Eventually, all of the current monarch’s children and grandchildren will be given the prince or princess title, but it’s unclear whether Markle and Harry will accept the titles for their children or whether, rumor has it, Charles will even allow it.
In 2021, the Daily Mail reported that Charles has a plan for a leaner monarchy, claiming that when he became king, only the heirs to the throne and their immediate families would receive full titles and financial and police support funded by taxpayers.