Many of us grew up with romantic ideas about becoming a princess one day. Of course, we have fairy tales to thank for this. Eventually, we learn that becoming a princess isn't as easy as having an animal sidekick.
However, childhood fantasies do come true for some very lucky women who marry into royalty and defy all odds.
Marrying into any royal family will do, but marrying into the British royal family is probably the best a girl could ask for. When Kate Middleton and her gorgeous white lace dress walked down the aisle to marry Prince William, women around the world swooned with envy.
Today, Kate Middleton is certainly living the life of a princess, and is often called Princess Kate in the media. However, it turns out that's not actually the right way to address her.
In fact, Kate's title is no simple matter, and according to royal tradition, "princess" isn't even the highest title she possesses!
[ H/T: PEOPLE ]
Lots of us think of Catherine Middleton as Princess Kate, but you'll usually see her referred to as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Is she even a Princess at all, or is she a Duchess? For Kate Middleton, the answer is actually both.
When Kate and William tied the knot, she adopted the feminine version of his title, the Duke of Cambridge.
Of course, Prince William is also a Prince, but in this case, his title of duke is actually higher, meaning that Kate adopted that title over princess.
With all of this said, it is still acceptable to refer to Kate Middleton as a princess. She's married to a Prince of England, after all.
However, a member of the royal family is traditionally accorded their highest title first, and any additional titles are used on a case-by-case basis.
If we're getting technical, she should also be called Catherine, which is her full name, instead of Kate.
One rule in the royal household is that people are called strictly by their full names. This is why you'll hear William referring to Kate as Catherine.
The one rule-breaker seems to be Prince Harry, who should technically go by the title Prince Henry of Wales.
So, if Kate's title isn't Princess, then why was Diana always "Princess Diana"?
This again has to do with adopting the title of your royal spouse. At the time of their marriage, Prince Charles had the title of Prince of Wales. It is a title traditionally given to the person who will assume the throne some day.
Since Prince Charles is still alive, he still holds this title, which is higher than William's current Duke of Cambridge status.
Things get even trickier when the royal couple are outside of England.
For instance, William and Kate are known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland, while William holds the title Baron of Carrickfergus in Ireland.
Even though Kate's title isn't technically princess, many people still call her that. If she isn't a princess, then who is?
PEOPLE even explains that she is registered as "Princess of the United Kingdom" on Prince George's birth certificate.
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