Kate Middleton Can Expect a Huge Title Change One Day When Prince William Is Crowned King

Kate Middleton is many things: the Duchess of Cambridge; the Countess of Strathearn when she's in Scotland; and, more recently, the Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of Charles as the new King of England.

That last addition is particularly meaningful, as the royal has become the first Princess of Wales since the late Princess Diana, Prince William's mother, held the title. It's also likely the last title change Kate will have for a long time now that she and Wills are the next King and Queen in waiting...which begs the following questions: What happens when William becomes King of England? Will Kate become the Queen, the Queen Consort, or something entirely different? Let's get into all of it, starting with the fact that...

When Prince William is King, Kate will indeed become Queen Consort

In short: Yes, Kate will be Queen, but there are different types of queens you should probably know about. (I mean, this is the royal family we're talking about! Things aren't simple.)

While we can expect Queen Catherine in our future, she will never be a queen in the same way the late Queen Elizabeth II was. And that's because Queen Elizabeth II was what's officially known as a Queen Regnant: a monarch with the same ranking as a King who has authority to reign over the kingdom (in this case, England) and has sovereign power.

Kate will instead be a Queen Consort, the wife of a reigning King (William, of course). In the role, she will support her husband in his duties, attend engagements, and help with charitable organizations that resonate with her. If you really wanna get into the weeds of that position, the royal family's website states: "The role of The Queen’s Consort is primarily to provide companionship and moral and practical support to the Monarch. The Consort does not hold a formal position in the structure of government...[or] see State papers or hold official audiences."

Camilla Parker Bowles was a Queen Consort (before the "Consort" was "quietly" dropped from her name recently, but that's a whole other story 👀). And before Camilla, the most recent person to hold the title was Queen Elizabeth II's mother, though following the death of her husband, King George VI, she assumed the title of the Queen Mother so there would be no confusion between her and her daughter Elizabeth. The more you know!

I hate to ask...but what happens if Prince William passes?

That would make Kate a Queen Dowager, the widow of a King. Kate would have a similar role and title as a Queen Consort but she wouldn't actually go by "Queen Consort" because a new monarch would be in charge and she's wouldn't be their spouse.

Anyway! Here's real-life footage of us trying to make sense of all these titles:

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