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British Titles and Society


AbielleRose

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As an American, I've always been curious about the different titles in British society, (Lady, Lord, Count, Countess, Duke, Duchess, etc...) but have never been able to understand their signifigance. Today I was a bit confused when Kate begame a Duchess rather than a princess. Isn't the woman who marry's the prince supposed to become a princess?

 

Can any of you help me understand these different titles?

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I think it's to do with where they are when it concerns line to the throne, but don't quote me on that! So Charles is Prince Charles, but William is Duke of Cambridge (and Kate as his wife is Duchess). Kate won't even become Queen either, when William becomes King she will be Princess Katerine (like the Queen's husband is Prince Phillip)

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I think it's to do with where they are when it concerns line to the throne, but don't quote me on that! So Charles is Prince Charles, but William is Duke of Cambridge (and Kate as his wife is Duchess). Kate won't even become Queen either, when William becomes King she will be Princess Katerine (like the Queen's husband is Prince Phillip)

 

Woah, that never registered in my brain! So Philip never actually became 'King?' That's kind of jacking them of a title, isn't it? Is this just a British thing or is it the same for all other countries who have monarchies?

 

Thanks Chrissy! My brain is just working all this into a confusing pot of mush, lol!

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Hi Abby, how are you? I asked myself the same thing today and then spent most of the afternoon reading about it on wikipedia, I think Prince Philip is called Prince Philip because he is 'The Queen's Consort', he would never be King because he is not part of the British royal line because he is from Greece, and he has Danish/Greek heritage but he has British maternal grandparents on the Mountbatten line. :)

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Wiki didn't really work for me, but maybe I was looking at the wrong things. I just remember Diana was called both Lady and Princess of Wales, wasn't she? Haha, electing a president is so much easier!

 

All the titles sound so beautiful and fancy.

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Wiki didn't really work for me, but maybe I was looking at the wrong things. I just remember Diana was called both Lady and Princess of Wales, wasn't she? Haha, electing a president is so much easier!

 

All the titles sound so beautiful and fancy.

 

Diana was called the Princess of Wales because Charles is the Prince of Wales, because the Queen formally invested the title onto him, that's all I remember from wikipedia, sorry hen :)

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Just to add some confusion, BBC radio news said that one day she would become Queen...

 

I thought Prince Philip never became king because the female in the royal family married a male who then cannot become king as she is the 'real' line in the family, where as the other way around, when the male of the royal family marries a female, she does become princess then queen at the same time as the male becomes king. However I don't know where I learnt that and it might be incorrect.

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Hi Abby, how are you? I asked myself the same thing today and then spent most of the afternoon reading about it on wikipedia, I think Prince Philip is called Prince Philip because he is 'The Queen's Consort', he would never be King because he is not part of the British royal line because he is from Greece, and he has Danish/Greek heritage but he has British maternal grandparents on the Mountbatten line. :)

 

Haha. I'm glad it's not just us non-Brits who don't understand all this.

 

So if Philip had been from England, he would be called King?

 

I guess Disney has taught me that there is always a King and a Queen on the throne at the same time. Thanks Disney for confusing things! tongue.gif

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Haha. I'm glad it's not just us non-Brits who don't understand all this.

 

So if Philip had been from England, he would be called King?

 

I guess Disney has taught me that there is always a King and a Queen on the throne at the same time. Thanks Disney for confusing things! tongue.gif

 

I think he would be called 'King' Kylie, I am embarrassed because I find it so confusing. :blush:

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There would only be a King if he was the direct line decendant of the previous ruling monarch. A man who marries the Queen (or the woman who will become Queen as ruling monarch) cannot become King because King is traditionally the higher rank and nobody can be higher than the ruling monarch (in this case, the Queen). If her were King of his own country in his own right, he would be known as King Consort, but if not, he'd be Prince Consort (as Phillip currently is, but goes by Prince, rather than Prince Consort).

 

Prince William is Prince because he is the direct line decendant of the ruling monarch through his father. Prince William is Duke of Cambridge, which is a conferred title, rather than a royal one, therefore Catherine automatically became Duchess of Cambridge on her marriage to him. William is also Earl of Strathearn, so Catherine also automatically became Countess of Strathearn. They are also entitled to use Lord and Lady Strathearn. On top of that, he's also Baron Carrickfergus, so Catherine is Baronness Carrickfergus.

 

Catherine's official full title at this point is quite a mouthful:

Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus. So, technically, she IS Princess Catherine by marriage, but I don't think she's going by that at this point.

 

When William ascends the throne (whether after his father or directly after the Queen if Charles decides to abdicate in his favour), Catherine will become Queen Catherine and William will be King William V of the United Kingdom.

 

It was decideded that if and when Charles becomes King, Camilla will not become Queen, but insead will be known as Princess Consort. I think it's officially because it's a second marriage, but unofficially because they think the British public will never accept her as Queen (because of being so fond of Diana), which is a shame, because technically, it's her right as the wife of the reigning monarch (when he comes to tthe thrown).

 

Camilla is officially Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Gowl, but prefers to go by Duchess of Cornwall to avoid confusion and comparison with Diana, who was also known as Princess of Wales, except in Scotland, where she is known as Duchess of Rothsay. Her full title is Her Royal Highness The Princess Charles Philip Arthur George, Princess of Wales and Countess of Chester, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Scotland.

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  • 1 year later...

Some titles can also be "bought". For example, if you own estate land in Scotland, you are entitled to go by the title of Laird or Lady. My Mam bought me a piece of the Kincavel estate on the west coast of Scotland as a Xmas gift, which technically (and legally!) makes me Lady Kell Smurthwaite of Kincavel. Which explains why I post my cross stitch designs under the name of Kincavel Krosses. :)

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