Breaking News: How Prince George’s Title Will Change When Prince William Is King….. Read More

Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96, and her son Prince Charles immediately ditched “Prince of Wales” and became King Charles III, leaving his former title up for grabs by Prince William. And it looks like history will almost definitely repeat itself once Prince William levels up to King William, thereby opening up the title for his son Prince George. But there are some things to consider before jumping to the conclusion that George will take on this fancy new title as soon as his dad is king. For starters…

The Title Will “Cease to Exist” When Prince William Becomes King

Prince William will morph into King William pretty much the second King Charles passes away, and in that moment the title “Prince of Wales” will technically “ceases to exist,” according to Brittanica. It sounds very dramatic, but honestly it’s more like the “Prince of Wales” title is simply put on ice to stay chill (and readily available) until the King decides to bestow it upon someone. In other words: No one is becoming the Prince of Wales until King William is good and ready for them to be, mmkay!

But the Title Traditionally Goes to the Heir Apparent
And has done so since the 1300s! In the case of future King William, the heir apparent will obviously be Prince George since he’s the eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton. But depending on when William becomes a king, Prince George could still be pretty young when the “Prince of Wales” title is technically ready for him to take on. Which begs the question…

Will William and Kate Wait to Make Prince George “Prince of Wales?”

Again, George is only 11 years old and the Waleses have made it clear they hope to keep their kids out of the spotlight as much as possible, for as long as possible. That said, there isn’t a minimum age requirement when it comes to being Prince of Wales (King Charles was only 10 years old when Queen Elizabeth granted him the title), and monarchs typically bestow the honor right away. Like, King Charles waited just one day after his mother’s death to make Prince William and Kate Middleton the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Either Way, George Will Become Duke of Cornwall

This title traditionally goes to the eldest son of the monarch and doesn’t need to be formally granted, it just sort of happens the moment the previous Duke of Cornwall becomes King. And when George does become the Duke of Cornwall, he’ll gain possession of the Duchy of Cornwall, which is a multi million dollar money making machine. (Note: It’s unclear what happens if George gets the Duchy of Cornwall before the age of 18—other than him becoming one of the richest kids in England).

Oh and before we go, George’s siblings likely won’t be getting much in the way of titles (Princess Charlotte could become “Princess Royal” one day, TBD), but that’s how their parents want it. It turns out Kate and William do not sound here for their youngest being working royals and hope Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will forge their own paths. As an insider put it to the Daily Beast, “The working assumption is that the younger two children will get on and do their own thing. They will be encouraged to not become working royals.” They added that Wills and Kate have a “deliberate strategy to let Charlotte and Louis choose their own destiny.”

Nice for some! *camera pans to George