Why Harriet Phillips Had Her Husband's Name on Her Badge at Ascot — but Kate and Camilla Did Not
A small detail on Harriet Phillips' Ascot badge caught royal watchers' attention — and revealed a centuries-old tradition that even Kate and Camilla skipped.
Harriet Phillips and Peter Phillips appeared upbeat at Royal Ascot on June 16, attending the prestigious event just 10 days after their wedding. Beyond the couple's affectionate appearance, royal watchers noticed that Harriet proudly displayed a 'Mrs. Peter Phillips' badge in the Royal Enclosure—a sweet nod to her husband and new life. The gesture prompted questions as to why Princess Kate and Queen Camilla did not wear similar badges. Turns out, the tradition dates back centuries, but following it today remains a matter of personal choice.
Harriet was not the only one who donned the peculiar badge. Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, and sister-in-law Alizee Thevenet also wore badges bearing the names 'Mrs Michael Middleton' and 'Mrs James Middleton.' In contrast, Kate and Camilla chose to skip the badges entirely, while Zara Tindall went with her maiden name. While it is not compulsory at Royal Ascot to bear the husband's name, and the tradition dates back centuries, when a married woman had a higher status than an unmarried one. Debrett's explained in its first edition of Correct Form that a married woman using her own name or initials "implies that her marriage was dissolved."
That being said, by 1976, Correct Form noted that "ladies, especially those engaged in business or the professions, who prefer not to disclose their marital status, have recently taken to using the prefix 'Ms'" but urged readers not to use it "unless a lady has indicated this preference, because it offends many more than it pleases." Interestingly, while women who married into the royal family were styled with their husband's name by default, Kate escaped being referred to as 'Princess William,' as there lies an exception for wives of peers, who can adopt their husband's title instead. That rule allowed her to be styled as the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle to be styled as the Duchess of Sussex.
As for Camilla, while she technically became the Princess of Wales after marrying then-Prince Charles in 2005, she chose to style herself as the Duchess of Cambridge instead. Her decision was reportedly made out of sensitivity to Princess Diana's legacy, who was known as Diana, Princess of Wales until she died in 1997. By 2005, only eight years had passed since her demise, and the public anger toward Charles and Camilla's affair was still strong. Kate, however, gladly accepted the Princess of Wales title as the wife of Diana's firstborn son.
