Following Queen Elizabeth’s death on Thursday, September 8, a number of changes big and small have taken effect within the British monarchy. Among those changes, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, received new titles, becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales in addition to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. The couple’s children, therefore, receive new titles as well.
Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 were previously called the Cambridges in accordance with their parents’ titles. After King Charles conferred the Wales titles to William and Kate on Friday, the children will now be known as the “Wales kids”—or, more formally, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales.
According to Harper’s Bazaar, the title changes impact not just the children’s official titles on the Royals website, but what they are referred to at school. They had previously been called George Cambridge, Charlotte Cambridge, and Louis Cambridge, but will moving forward be referred to as George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales.
Members of the Royal family don’t typically use a last name, instead adopting the father’s territorial designation as a surname when needed. Descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip may also choose to use the personal last name Mountbatten-Windsor, as is the case for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
All the Wales children just started the school year at Lambrook School in Windsor. The school marks a new start for all three following their family’s move from London to Adelaide Cottage over the summer.
The kids’ cousins, Archie and Lilibet, are expected to inherit new titles as well. Now that Prince Harry’s father, King Charles III, is the reigning sovereign, his grandchildren automatically become Prince and Princess (they had previously gone by Master Archie and Miss Lilibet, a preference of their parents, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who stepped down from their positions as senior royals in 2020). However, it’s unclear at the moment if Harry and Meghan will use their children’s inherited titles. Until a decision is made, we’ll be refreshing the Royals’ website.
