It may seem like the British Royals throw around the titles “Princess” and “Prince.” It’s what fairy tales thrive on. But in real life, that’s not at all how it works. In fact, there are only a couple of ways to become a princess: you have to be the daughter of a prince (i.e. Princess Charlotte born to Prince William) or you have to marry one (i.e. Princess Kate married to Prince William).
When Kate Middleton married William, her title became Princess William of Wales, though we all know her as the Duchess of Cambridge.
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In much the same way, grandchildren born to the sons of the monarch receive the title of prince or princess, but those born to the daughters of a monarch don’t. In the case of the family of Prince and Princess William of Wales: Prince George’s children will automatically be princes and princesses; Princess Charlotte’s kids will not (unless, of course, a tragedy upends the British line to the throne).
Lucy Hume, an expert on the royal rankings, tells Town & Country that “Royal titles are inherited through sons, so if Princess Charlotte has children they would not automatically inherit the titles ‘HRH,’ ‘Prince,’ or ‘Princess.'”
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But things may be changing, as both Prince Harry and Prince William have chosen to marry for love, not business. As T&C puts it, “For the bulk of British history, marriage was a transactional means to fortify alliances between nations, so princesses typically married princes and their children took on the titles of their father’s country. Now that love matches are standard protocol, the question of titles comes into play.”
