Royal titles can be difficult to follow, particularly as they change with marriage, succession, and shifts within the monarchy. Catherine, Princess of Wales, for example, was widely known to the public as Kate Middleton before becoming the Duchess of Cambridge and later assuming her current title—though many people continue to refer to her simply as “Kate.”
Before Prince William’s wife officially joined the royal family, there was one very strange suggestion floating around. Who could have imagined that the spelling of Kate’s name would be such a significant issue for Charles and Camilla? She wasn’t asked to change it completely, nor was she told to pick a new royal title. Kate was kindly asked to swap the “C” in Catherine for a “K.”
That’s right, the most nontroversial drama in recent royal history revolved around just one letter. According to Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, the issue stemmed from the royal ciphers used for personal monograms that royals use on stationery, gifts, uniforms, and official items. Charles and Camilla already had ciphers involving the letter “C” under a crown, so adding another royal “C” was apparently too confusing, so they suggested Catherine become “Katherine” instead.
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born with that spelling, and by the time she was ready to marry Prince William, she had already spent years dodging paparazzi and being featured in the news. “Kate Middleton” was the tabloid-friendly version everyone knew, but “Catherine” was her given name, and the more formal version suited to royal life. So reportedly, the idea of changing even one letter just to keep palace branding neat felt pretty insulting.
Royal author Christopher Andersen also addressed the alleged request in his book Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen. According to Andersen, Prince William reportedly viewed the suggestion as disrespectful to Catherine and her family, and objected to the proposed change. The idea was ultimately abandoned, leaving her publicly known as Catherine rather than “Princess Katherine with a K.”
The whole situation also says a lot about how important the royal family’s public image is. To regular people, one letter is not a big deal, but to the palace, names, initials, titles, and symbols are part of the machine. A royal cipher becomes part of a person’s official identity. Then again, asking someone to alter the spelling of their name is a pretty personal request, especially when they are already stepping into one of the most scrutinized families in the world.
Catherine had already initiated the process of adopting a more formal name, adding a humorous twist to the story. In 2008, before announcing her engagement to William, she sent a semi-serious email to her friends, requesting them to call her Catherine instead of Kate. This may have been part of her quiet preparation for a more official royal role, though nobody knows for sure whether she simply preferred the name or just wanted to be taken more seriously, knowing she was about to be brought into the royal family. Either way, Catherine clearly wanted the more polished version of her name at the time.
There was also another discussion before the wedding regarding her title. In 2010, William reportedly asked Queen Elizabeth II not to make him a duke because he preferred Catherine to be known as “Princess Catherine.” But royal titles are tricky. If William had remained simply Prince William, his wife would technically have been styled as Princess William, not Princess Catherine. So Queen Elizabeth gave William the title Duke of Cambridge when they married in 2011, making Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge.
That changed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Charles became king, William was upgraded to Prince of Wales, and Catherine became Princess of Wales, which is a title most closely associated with her predecessor, Princess Diana. The official royal website lists her as Catherine, Princess of Wales, and states that she married William at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
Ultimately, Catherine received the formal royal name many had long expected, without altering its spelling to accommodate any concerns over initials or monograms. Although the public may still often refer to her as Kate, and the palace uses the full name Catherine, the proposed change to “Katherine” never materialized.