Kate Was ‘Offended’ by Charles and Camilla’s Demand Ahead of Wedding to William, New Book Claims
The request even rubbed Prince William the wrong way, who defended his future wife's identity, putting it above the Firm's interests.
Although Kate Middleton is now King Charles's 'beloved daughter-in-law' and Queen Camilla's pillar of strength, tensions ran high ahead of her wedding to Prince William. In his new biography, royal author Christopher Anderson lifted the lid on the King and Queen's 'insulting' demand that Middleton change her name, a suggestion she reportedly found disrespectful. The request even rubbed William the wrong way, and he pushed back against his fiancée changing her identity for the sake of the firm.
In his book, Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen, Anderson described how everything broke loose ahead of the high-profile nuptials. Explaining why Charles and Camilla requested Middleton to change her name to 'Katherine,' he penned, "Charles and Camilla each had a royal monogram that consisted of interlocking C's beneath a crown," and were allegedly worried that a third royal emblem with a 'C' was 'overkill.' Although she was commonly called Kate, Middleton's full name is, in fact, 'Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.' Because she was already known as Kate in the media, as pointed out by Camilla, they thought the suggestion seemed fair. But Anderson noted that Kate was 'offended' by the request to alter her maiden name.
Anderson also claimed that a 'fuming' William defended his then-fiancée, calling the request "insulting … not only to Kate but to her entire family." The matter had to be subsequently dropped, and Middleton chose to proudly retain her maiden name. He also detailed other incidents ahead of the wedding, one of which involved William 'reeking' so strongly of alcohol that Prince Harry "handed him a mint." Additionally, the Prince of Wales reportedly wanted to sport a beard for the ceremony but had to drop the idea as there was still a ban on beards in the military, which was only recently lifted in 2024, 13 years after the wedding.
Interestingly, it's not just Anderson; even Harry has spoken about Charles and Camilla's alleged disrespectful request ahead of the royal wedding. In his memoir, Spare, he wrote, "There were already two royal cyphers with a 'C' and a crown above: Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have another. 'Make it 'Katherine' with a K,' they [Charles and Camilla] suggested." He then recalled his brother's reaction to the bizarre request, adding, "I turned to Willy, gave him a look that said, 'You listening to this?' His face was blank."
However, the pair were able to sort out their differences and allowed Middleton to keep her maiden name. Despite these minor bumps, the Princess of Wales was able to put the water under the bridge and has since forged a very special bond with her father-in-law. Weighing in on the same, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE, "He [Charles] has always had a very good bond with her [Kate]. I don't think it is presumptuous to say that she is like the daughter he never had. He shares with [Prince] William an impulse to protect her. They are in this together, Kate and the King."
