Which doesn’t mean that it’s a dry or dull topic quite the contrary!
But who exactly counts as a member of the British royal family?
Surprisingly, there is no set definition.
Most people would count little Prince George and his siblings as well.
The royal family is in constant flux, and as it changes, so do people’s titles.
So why is Kate a duchess but not a princess, and just what was Diana’s proper title?
Let’s break down how royal family members really get their titles.
Those who can use HRH are a rare few.
As well, any woman who marries an HRH gets to assume the female version of the title.
But things rarely go as planned, do they?
Fast-forward to 1936, and George V, her grandson, passes away.
In a major scandal, he chose Simpson, abdicating the throne after less than a year.
Which is a shame, because it’s equally thrilling.
For centuries, Wales was a series of kingdoms ruled by native princes.
Understandably, the Welsh weren’t thrilled with being subjects of an English king.
Shortly thereafter, his wife conveniently gave birth to a boy at Caernarfon Castle.
Technically, Edward had kept his word.
So what else could you call him?
For starters, it depends on where you are, as many are specific to a region.
Sure beats another pair of socks as a present.
The title is considered part of his royal birthright, even if he doesn’t want to use it.
Indeed, it seems he was happy to leave the moniker behind in England once he moved to California.
This move is rumored to have bothered him the most.
Technically, Kate could have refused the duchess title.
Will Camilla Parker Bowles become queen?
Camilla Parker Bowlesturned down a royal title upon her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005.
Fortunately, the queen made Charles the Duke of Cornwall, thereby allowing Camilla to use the duchess title.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Was Meghan Markle stripped of her HRH title?
No one had done such a thing since Edward VIII abdicated.
Questions about how exactly it would play out swirled for months.
They were, however, allowed to remain as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according toThe Guardian.
But contrary to popular belief, neither Harry nor Meghan were stripped of the HRH title.
Did Harry go back on his word?
He was obligated to use it since HRH is still legally his name, according toInsider.
The title is strictly for the eldest daughter of a reigning monarch.
The queen offered to bestow titles upon Anne’s children, but her daughter declined.
Who will be the next Duke of Edinburgh?
Who will it go to?
Prince Edward, the queen’s youngest son, also known as the Earl of Wessex.
Her upset wasn’t because of mere vanity, but out of concern.
No princely title meant her son would not be entitled to security paid for by the royals.
The same would also hold true forLilibet, who would become a princess and be entitled to HRH.
Beatrice, on the other hand, married a member of the Italian aristocracy.
Her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, is an Italian count, as noted byVanity Fair.
This means that Beatrice is now a princess and a countess in Italy, at least.
The additional title holds no real meaning in England.
The easy-to-spot fake is the People’s Princess, a nickname that was embedded into pop culture.
British prime minister Tony Blair used it in a speech after her death (via theBBC).
And Diana Spencer was, in fact, a lady before she married into the royal family.
She became one in 1975, when her father inherited an earldom, as theroyal family websiteexplained.
It’s a subtle difference, but a key one.
Only direct blood relatives of the queen can put “princess” before their name.
Even marrying a prince doesn’t give you that right.
