Princess Kate? Princess Anne? Princess Diana?

[BradfordGirl]

Why is it viewed by so many as disrespectful to refer to Kate as Princess Kate, and yet talking about Princess Anne or Princess Diana is seen as normal and acceptable?

Don’t think it is seen as disrespectful? Where have you seen that?

Loads of times on MN.

I haven’t heard of it being disrespectful. I have seen people being told off for calling Kate instead of Catherine. I don’t care if you call her Kate or Catherine.

Although, technically she is not Princess Kate or Catherine. She’s HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales just like Diana was exactly that.

Princess Anne is Princess Anne because she was born into the royal family.

I think you would need to ask the people who say it’s disrespectful.

I can only guess it’s the shortening of the first name.

She isn't, she's just 'HRH The Princess of Wales'.

I think people decided it was disrespectful because, before William was Prince of Wales, his Duke title outranked just Prince title. Kate was never Princess Kate, she was Princess William and the Duchess of Cambridge was a higher title.

I suspect if she had become the Princess of Wales immediately upon marriage she would be more commonly known as Princess Kate/Catherine (even though she never will be).

Someone who is born a princess (Anne, Margaret) is always a princess, unless she gains a higher title (Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth).

Someone who is not a princess but becomes a princess by marriage technically takes on her husband's title - so, for example: Sarah, Duchess of York was also Princess Andrew, never Princess Sarah.

The title Prince of Wales is a specialty - Diana was never officially Princess Diana, but she was Diana, Princess of Wales since her marriage, as Charles was already Prince of Wales when they married. Kate is now Catherine, Princess of Wales, but it's a very new title for her - until recently she was the Duchess of Cambridge, or Princess William.

Princess Anne is Princess by birth

Princess Diana was never officially PD it was adopted by the media

Princess Anne is the only one of the 3 who should technically be referred to as Princess (forename)

No one was going to call her Princess William. That sounds like the Handmaidens Tale.

This isn't correct. Diana was 'HRH The Princess of Wales' upon marriage, like Kate is now.

She was only 'Diana, Princess of Wales' post divorce.

Well she's not a princess in her own right and it seems she's only been referred to as pk on here since the queen died

It's all a bit weird though, she's been married for how long and is still called KM

I just double checked and Hello Magazine seems to refer to her as Princess Kate, so i don't see the problem.

Why is Anne’s husband not a ‘Prince’? Same with Beatrice and Eugenie’s husbands?

@TimeToFlyNow They do, but that is a way to say which kate it is. People know who Kate Middleton is. They are not going to say Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge every time. It is far too much of a mouthful.

Because they get to keep their surnames without anyone complaining you should not be using them.

It’s probably more disrespectful of Will’s mates to call out ‘doors to manual’ when she enters a room or for the deceased Prince Philip to have called her ‘Kate Middleclass’.

Men don't take their wife's rank, only women take their husband's.

OK, I am not an expert so perhaps you are right, and the routine references to her as Diana, Princess of Wales between the marriage and the divorce were informal, and only became formal after the divorce. If you have an official source for that, I'd love to see it, just for educational purposes.

It seems that what was once informal has become formal, as Kate is indeed now Catherine, Princess of Wales, no divorce needed. Would genuinely be interested in how the official change came about - I'd guess the RF would make an announcement if the way the title was used officially changed. Thanks.

Ok that makes sense! I thought they’d have at least got a duke or an earl added into their names?

Prince Philip didn’t become a prince until Queen Elizabeth became queen, isn’t that right? And it’s only because he couldn’t be King Consort?

@wackamole
she is not Catherine, Princess of Wales.
She is HRH The Princess of Wales, a title recently bestowed by the King. Prior to this she was the Duchess of Cambridge, but again the name Catherine or Kate was not part of the title.

I hadn't known Philip called her that.

I don’t understand how the ‘rankings’ work.
So Duke is higher than Prince, but then Prince is higher than Duke again.

Seems like being born a Prince is outranked by being created a duke, which is again outranked by being created a Prince?
But surely a birth prince outranks a random being named a duke? There’s loads of Dukes, surely they don’t outrank Harry?

@asblindasabat Beatrices husband is a Count by birth.

Wikipedia, not unusually, is wrong.

Kate Middleton is now the Princess of Wales

Diana went from The Princess of Wales to Diana, Princess of Wales, upon divorce

HRH The Princess of Wales was not Diana’s only title throughout her marriage to Prince Charles. When in Scotland, she was the Duchess of Rothesay and Baroness of Renfrew. She was also the Duchess of Cornwall and Countess of Chester. In August of 1996, Diana had one more title change. Divorcing Prince Charles, she lost the ability to be a Royal Highness. Her new name became Diana, Princess of Wales.

Prince Philip was born a prince. He was made Duke of Edinburgh upon marrying the Queen.

Sons and grandsons of the monarch outrank non royal dukes.

William and Harry are both now royal dukes.