Why Prince William and Kate Middleton’s titles were delayed for months

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal titles of the Prince and Princess of Wales are finally official following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite the long-reigning monarch passing last September, the couple’s nobility monikers were just formally sealed earlier this month.

Once William’s father King Charles III became sovereign upon the death of his mother, the 40-year-old royal and Kate, 41, inherited the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.

But their titles were only formally announced when the Letters Patent officially passed the Great Seal of the Realm and the public notice was posted in The Gazette on Friday. The actual sealing event occurred on Feb. 13.

“In accordance with the direction of HIS MAJESTY THE KING Letters Patent have passed the Great Seal of the Realm, dated the 13th February 2023 for creating His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cornwall, Rothesay and Cambridge, Earl of Carrick and Strathearn, Baron of Renfrew, Baron Carrickfergus, K.G., K.T., Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, PRINCE OF WALES and EARL OF CHESTER,” the full posting read.

Charles, 74, was named the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1958, and his investiture was held in 1969 when he was crowned by the Queen at Caernarfon Castle.

When the King married Diana Spencer in 1981, she then became known as the Princess of Wales until her passing in 1997.

As for William and Kate, they were also given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by the Queen when they were married in April 2011.

The other monikers they received at the time of their wedding included the Earl and Countess of Strathearn and the Baron and Baroness of Carrickfergus.

William and Kate’s social media accounts were changed to reflect their new titles right after the Queen died last year, with both their Twitter and Instagram accounts updated to read: “Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.”

The Duke of Cornwall name is usually held by the eldest son of the reigning monarch.

Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, also previously used the names of the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, which are utilized when they are in Scotland. William and Kate now hold the Scottish alias as well.

Charles will officially be crowned as monarch during his coronation ceremony on May 6 — an event that is said to be more “inclusive.”

The scaled-back event will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry,” former BBC correspondent Jennie Bond said in an interview last month.

She added that the coronation is “clearly going to be a big event” and might even be “more enormous than the  funeral of the queen in terms of state attendees.”