Why Prince William and Princess Kate Changed Their Titles This Week
- The Prince and Princess of Wales changed their titles this week, going by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay during their recent visit to Scotland.
- "North of the England border they're known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay," explained royal expert Richard Kay. "It's a title which dates back to when Scotland was an entirely separate kingdom before the union with England."
- Prince William and Princess Kate also hold the regional titles, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, and Earl and Countess of Chester.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have emerged as the leaders of the royal family. And from their recent house move to Forest Lodge to major changes to their official roles in 2026, the royal couple has been front and centre.
The future King and Queen have particularly been scaling up their public appearances, taking part in an official visit to Scotland earlier this week.
And while fans and followers were taken with the photographs and videos of the royal couple visiting Stirling and Falkirk, there were many questions around their title change.
Prince William and Princess Kate took on different titles during their trip to Scotland, going by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay during their visit.
And while this might seem surprising to some, it's actually all part of a 700-year-old tradition, with the Prince and Princess of Wales holding the Dukedom since 2022, and going by the titles whenever they are in Scotland.
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"North of the England border they're known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay," royal expert Richard Kay explained on the Mail's 'Palace Confidential' podcast.
"It's a title which dates back to when Scotland was an entirely separate kingdom before the union with England," he continued. "The title descends from that given to. I think one of the first kings of Scotland gave to his eldest son and its descended ever since the early 14th Century."
The Prince and Princess of Wales also hold the regional titles, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, and Earl and Countess of Chester.
We will continue to update this story.
