As a royal, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has already received many benefits and privileges that most ordinary people do not have. For example, she has titles, lives in luxurious palaces, and has various expenses, all paid for by the government.
However, there is a privilege that Kate cannot enjoy until she becomes Queen. Interestingly, this privilege has already been granted to her husband, Prince William, from the day he was born.
When will Kate Middleton become queen?
Although there is a lot of talk about Kate becoming Queen, chances are she won’t make it to that position anytime soon.
Once the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, leaves the throne, it will be William’s father, Prince Charles, who will ascend. At that time, Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will be the Queen Consort.
William is next in line after his father, so he will become king after Charles passes away or abdicates. Kate, then, will become Queen Consort when her husband is on the throne.
What privilege will Kate Middleton enjoy as queen?
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Since Kate will only be a queen consort, she will be able to enjoy fewer privileges than Queen Elizabeth, who is a royal sovereign. However, Kate will have a privilege that she does not currently have: use her first name.
Although many people refer to Kate by her first name, the truth is that her title does not include it.
“Her formal title is HRH Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge,” said constitutional expert Iain MacMarthanne, as reported by Express.co.uk. “At no time should your own Christian name be added to any of your royal titles, as they are all derived from your husband as a result of your marriage.”
While some people still call her “Kate” or “Duchess Kate”, this is just an informal way of referring to her and is technically incorrect.
William, on the other hand, has been allowed to use his first name in his titles since he was born. Before his marriage, he was known as “Prince William of Wales”, which came from his father’s title. Today, he can be called “HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge”.
Kate Middleton ready to be queen?
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William has been preparing for his future role as a monarch since he was a child. As such, it is likely that when Kate and William started dating in the early 2000s, Kate was aware that becoming Queen could be in her future should they both get married.
For many years, Kate has been learning the ins and outs of real life, as well as what she is expected to do as Queen Consort. She has also been making more royal engagements, especially since Queen Elizabeth is now over 90 years old.
Royal expert Leslie Carroll believes the queen has been training Kate on how to support William and all of Britain when the big day finally comes.
“Being a wife and a mother … is clearly front and center, and one day, as the Queen Consort, she will play that maternal role … in Britain,” Carroll explained.
Kate is currently one of the most popular royalty, so there is no doubt that she will probably get a lot of public support as Queen Consort in the future.
