Today at Westminster Abbey, Prince Charles III and Camilla were crowned King and Queen of the British Empire and the Commonwealth. The UK and the world watched.
Prince Charles, the first-born son of Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, became King Charles III after her reign over the UK and other Commonwealth territories from February 6, 1952, until 2022.
Charles III was born on November 14, 1948. When he was three, he was next in line for the throne. He is 74 years old, making him the longest-ruling heir and oldest British monarch. At the time of her death, Elizabeth II ruled 15 countries. She ruled 32 independent states.
After his mother’s death, Charles became king. He became Head of State for the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth nations. He heads the troops, courts, and Church of England, among other royal duties.
British monarchs’ sons and grandsons are traditionally called “Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” The present king grants the title by issuing letters patent, demonstrating royal will. Princes are typically addressed as “His Royal Highness” (HRH).
The title “prince” and “HRH” weren’t often used until the middle of the 17th century. The Prince of Wales, the oldest son of the sovereign, has been styled a prince since King Edward I of England. The heir apparent was solely known as the Duke of Rothesay, but King James VI created a Scottish principality. John, who eventually became King John and was Richard I’s brother, is also known as Prince John.
After King George I of Great Britain became the first monarch from the House of Hanover, it became common for the monarch’s male descendants to be styled “Prince” and “His Royal Highness,” or “HRH.” Kings who were the sovereign’s great-grandsons were called His Highness.
After that, princes’ titles and styles were changed by special letters patent. Because they were Victoria’s great-grandchildren through the male line, the children of Prince George, Duke of York, the Prince of Wales’s oldest son, were dubbed princes with the style of Highness in 1898. The Crown granted the title “Royal Highness” to the offspring of any Prince of Wales’ oldest son by letters patent from May 28, 1898.
The children of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, a great-great-grandchild of George III, were given the title of prince and style of Highness by King George V in 1914. On June 17, 1914, the letters patent were signed. The Royal House became the House of Windsor in 1917 under George V. He gave up German titles like Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and others. Letters patent modified who could use the titles prince and Royal Highness at the end of 1917. “The children of any Sovereign of these Realms and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign (as per the above Letters Patent of 1864) and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (a change from the Letters Patent of 1898) shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style, title, or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to it,” these letters patent stated on November 30, 1917
In these letters, it was also determined that the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the straight male line shall always have and enjoy the style and title of ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’ before their Christian name. The letters also stated that no relative of a Sovereign of these Realms could use the style titles or attributes of Royal Highness, Highness, or Serene Highness, or Prince or Princess.
When a British prince marries, his wife becomes a princess too. She is called by the female equivalent of her husband’s top title, which may be a peerage or royal title.
The spouses of males in the British royal family, aristocracy, and common public traditionally take their husbands’ styles and titles. A royal-blooded girl may marry a British prince. She becomes a princess when she marries, therefore people will treat her the same.
Duchess of Fife Princess Alexandra was an example. She married her mother’s nephew, Prince Arthur of Connaught, and became Princess Arthur, Duchess of Fife. The princess is called by the feminine equivalent of her husband’s peerage if he is British. Catherine, Prince William’s wife, is an example. His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, was Prince William’s title, and Catherine’s was Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. Titles and initial names were absent. His/Her Royal Highness, The Prince/Princess of Wales was William’s most prominent title after becoming Prince of Wales.
After King Charles III’s coronation, his oldest son, Prince William (formerly the Duke of Cambridge), is next in line for the British throne.
William, 40, was named Prince of Wales by the King on his first full day as king. The new Princess of Wales was Catherine, William’s wife. She is the first to hold the title since Princess Diana died in 1997.
After that, Prince William and Princess Kate’s children take over. Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is Charles and Diana’s first-born son; Prince George of Wales is Will and Kate’s first-born son; Princess Charlotte of Wales is Will and Kate’s second-born daughter; Prince Louis of Wales is Will and Kate’s third-born son; and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is Charles and Diana’s second-born son.