Kate Middleton and Prince William Go by Different Names in Scotland — Here’s Why

Prince William is marking Royal Week in Scotland, where he isn’t known as the Prince of Wales

Kate Middleton and Prince William aren’t known as the Prince and Princess of Wales when they travel north to Scotland.

The heir to the throne joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on July 3 for the Order of the Thistle service during Royal Week in Scotland. Instead of going by his title as the Prince of Wales, William went by another name for the day.

That’s because Prince William and Princess Kate, both 42, are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay while in Scotland. The Duke of Rothesay has been the traditional title for the male heir to the Scottish throne since 1469, making his wife the Duchess of Rothesay.

King Charles announced that he conferred the Rothesay dukedom onto William in his first speech as monarch on Sept. 9, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, the day prior.

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“As my heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me,” the King, 75, said in his first address to the United Kingdom.

In addition, Prince William succeded his father as the Duke of Cornwall, taking on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall. William and Kate briefly changed their names on social media to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, other titles traditionally held by the traditional eldest son of the reigning British monarch, following the death of Queen Elizabeth.

King Charles also made his eldest son the Prince of Wales, the traditional title for the male heir apparent to the English throne since around 1301. The monarch previously held the title for over six decades, saying in his speech, “the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.”

Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, became the Princess of Wales following her marriage to then-Prince Charles in 1981. She died at age 36 in 1997 following a car accident in Paris, and the future Queen Camilla opted not to use the Princess of Wales title when she married the future King Charles in 2005, instead going by the Duchess of Cornwall.