Kate Middleton's Royal Title 'Almost Went to Someone Else' — If Not For a '90s Rom-Com Movie
Before becoming the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton was bestowed with another royal title when she tied the knot to Prince William. She was made the Duchess of Cambridge alongside her husband, the Duke of Cambridge. However, Middleton would have never had the title if it weren't for Prince Edward’s fascination with the 1998 rom-com movie, Shakespeare in Love.
In 2010, an insider claimed to The Telegraph that Middleton would have missed out on the title, as Sophie Rhys-Jones was set to become the Duchess of Cambridge after her marriage to Edward in 1999. The Palace source revealed that Edward relinquished the dukedom in favor of an alternative title — the Earl of Wessex. The source explained, “Prince Edward was going to be the Duke of Cambridge, but he watched the film Shakespeare in Love, which had a character called the Earl of Wessex. He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead.” Consequently, Rhys-Jones was titled the Countess of Wessex. The couple’s titles were later changed to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on Edward’s 59th birthday as a tribute to his father, Prince Philip.
The title of Duke of Cambridge had remained on hold since the death of Queen Victoria’s cousin, Prince George, in 1904, until it was bestowed on William. According to E! News, today, besides their titles as Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Middleton are also the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Earl and Countess of Chester, as they inherited the titles from King Charles after he acceded to the throne. In Scotland, the couple is also called the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. However, they were initially the Earl and Countess of Strathearn. In Northern Ireland, they are called the Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus, titles given by the late Queen Elizabeth on their marriage. The couple also holds a number of military titles.
When William ascends the throne, Middleton's title will be that of Queen Consort. Given Charles' battle with cancer, and William gearing up to be King sooner than expected, royal experts have recently commented on how Middleton would fare as Queen. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital, “Her emphasis on a ruthless discipline in her regimented daily routine and commitment to self-improvement has helped her.” Lauding Middleton’s routine, the expert continued, “She divides her time meticulously between parenting, supporting the heir to the throne, and her royal duties and manages to fit in an intense workout regime.”
Another expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, noted how her cancer battle made the Princess of Wales ‘tough.’ He gushed, “When they have a clear goal, as Kate has, the maintaining of the monarchy and bringing up her family means the experience, although traumatic, can be used to advantage in the years ahead.”