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The marriage of Prince William with Kate Middleton raises the matter of what the bride will be styled as a married woman. 'Ms Catherine Middleton' would be too egalitarian for a palace protective of royal status. For the same reason it is unlikely that she will be made a princess in her own right. Prince Philip had to wait until 1957, ten years after his marriage and five years after his wife's accession, to be made a prince of the United Kingdom; he was granted the qualification of royal highness on his marriage, as well as being created duke of Edinburgh, earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, but he was technically not a prince, having renounced his status as a prince of Greece and Denmark on being naturalised as British. Likewise Diana, princess of Wales was never a princess in her own right, and only an HRH by virtue of being married to a prince of the blood royal; she lost this distinction when she divorced, as did Sarah, duchess of York. Up until the latter's wedding day in 1986 the public had been led to believe that she would be styled 'HRH Princess Andrew', but the Queen instead made Prince Andrew duke of York.
'Princess Catherine' is therefore unlikely as a formal style (though Kate will be HRH and a princess - 'Princess William of Wales' - by marriage). Despite reported reluctance William will be prevailed upon to take a peerage - probably a dukedom though possibly an earldom like his uncle Prince Edward, earl of Wessex. 'Duke of Clarence' seems unlikely as no-one knows where Clarence is - it's the honour of Clare, the estate of the medieval Clare earls of Gloucester and Hertford - and has comical or inept associations. 'Duke of Cambridge' and 'Duke of Sussex' are dukedoms associated with the royal family which are free, while 'Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale' (an eighteenth-century double-barrelled royal dukedom) and 'Duke of Albany' are suspended following the unfortunate circumstances in which the British princes who held those titles found themselves fighting for Germany in World War One. 'Duke of Connaught' is unlikely as Connacht is no longer part of the royal dominions.
I think that if a Welsh dukedom is out (it might give the impression that William is snapping at the heels of his father the prince of Wales) it might be a good idea to grant a Scottish royal dukedom. William IV was 'duke of Clarence and St Andrews' before his accession, but ideal as St Andrews would be for William and Kate, the title is currently held as an earldom by the duke of Kent, and used as a courtesy title by his eldest son. 'Strathearn' was used as a second half of a double-barrelled dukedom by two eighteenth-century royal creations and by the duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria's third son. Were I working for the royal family, I'd suggest Strathearn to counter the perception that the royal family are Anglocentric. Researching this idea, I found that even the local MSP, republican SNP politician Roseanna Cunningham, is in favour.
A royal dukedom which I'd forgotten is Kendal, used by one of James II and VII's short-lived sons, but then used for George I's mistress/morganatic wife Melusine von der Schulenburg, and subsequently turned down on those grounds when offered to George IV's son-in-law Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later King Leopold I of the Belgians). Another is Kintyre, which was held by James VI and I's third son Robert, who died in childhood, but it's since been given as a lordship of parliament to the earls and dukes of Argyll.
The title could be an entirely new one, of course, or derived from the titles to which Prince William is presumptive heir - were he and his father not princes his courtesy title would be Lord Greenwich so duke of Greenwich might be an option. (The last duke of Greenwich was non-royal, and also second duke of Argyll.) Otherwise historic non-royal dukedoms could be revived for William, such as Buckingham (extinct 1889) or Newcastle (upon Tyne extinct 1768, under Lyme extinct 1988).
'Princess Catherine' is therefore unlikely as a formal style (though Kate will be HRH and a princess - 'Princess William of Wales' - by marriage). Despite reported reluctance William will be prevailed upon to take a peerage - probably a dukedom though possibly an earldom like his uncle Prince Edward, earl of Wessex. 'Duke of Clarence' seems unlikely as no-one knows where Clarence is - it's the honour of Clare, the estate of the medieval Clare earls of Gloucester and Hertford - and has comical or inept associations. 'Duke of Cambridge' and 'Duke of Sussex' are dukedoms associated with the royal family which are free, while 'Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale' (an eighteenth-century double-barrelled royal dukedom) and 'Duke of Albany' are suspended following the unfortunate circumstances in which the British princes who held those titles found themselves fighting for Germany in World War One. 'Duke of Connaught' is unlikely as Connacht is no longer part of the royal dominions.
I think that if a Welsh dukedom is out (it might give the impression that William is snapping at the heels of his father the prince of Wales) it might be a good idea to grant a Scottish royal dukedom. William IV was 'duke of Clarence and St Andrews' before his accession, but ideal as St Andrews would be for William and Kate, the title is currently held as an earldom by the duke of Kent, and used as a courtesy title by his eldest son. 'Strathearn' was used as a second half of a double-barrelled dukedom by two eighteenth-century royal creations and by the duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria's third son. Were I working for the royal family, I'd suggest Strathearn to counter the perception that the royal family are Anglocentric. Researching this idea, I found that even the local MSP, republican SNP politician Roseanna Cunningham, is in favour.
A royal dukedom which I'd forgotten is Kendal, used by one of James II and VII's short-lived sons, but then used for George I's mistress/morganatic wife Melusine von der Schulenburg, and subsequently turned down on those grounds when offered to George IV's son-in-law Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later King Leopold I of the Belgians). Another is Kintyre, which was held by James VI and I's third son Robert, who died in childhood, but it's since been given as a lordship of parliament to the earls and dukes of Argyll.
The title could be an entirely new one, of course, or derived from the titles to which Prince William is presumptive heir - were he and his father not princes his courtesy title would be Lord Greenwich so duke of Greenwich might be an option. (The last duke of Greenwich was non-royal, and also second duke of Argyll.) Otherwise historic non-royal dukedoms could be revived for William, such as Buckingham (extinct 1889) or Newcastle (upon Tyne extinct 1768, under Lyme extinct 1988).
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