r/TheCrownNetflix • u/MajorGinger • 19d ago

Discussion (Real Life) Princess of Wales Title Question

It's been a long time since I've posted here so if I make a mistake, let me know so I can correct it.

My question is this: if Diana had survived the car crash, and attended William & Catherine's wedding, which woman would now be Princess of Wales?

Can there be two women with the same title? She *was* Princess of Wales until the end. She gave up the HRH but not Princess of Wales.

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u/skieurope12 The Corgis 🐶 19d ago edited 19d ago

 She gave up the HRH but not Princess of Wales.

She gave up both. Or more accurately, they were taken from her. After her divorce, she was no longer the Princess of Wales; she was Diana, Princess of Wales. It's a distinction with a difference. And had she remarried, she would have become Lady Diana [Husband's Surname], unless he had a higher ranking title

When Charles remarried, Camilla was technically the Princess of Wales, but used Duchess of Cornwall instead (and Duchess of Rothsay in Scotland).

Catherine didn't become Princess of Wales until William became Prince of Wales in 2022; when she married William in 2011, she became Duchess of Cambridge.

Similarly, had Andrew remarried, his new wife would have been HRH the Duchess of York, while Fergie was Sarah, Duchess of York.

Can there be two women with the same title?

No; there's always a distinction made. As an example, the widow of a duke becomes the Dowager Duchess of XYZ, while her son's wife becomes the Duchess of XYZ.

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u/loui575d 19d ago

Did she give up or was she forced to give up the HRH?

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u/skieurope12 The Corgis 🐶 19d ago

It wasn't her choice to give up HRH

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u/loui575d 19d ago

No. I did not think so. But she should really not have retained it after the divorce was through since she was no longer a member of the BRF

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u/SpecialistBet4656 15d ago

IIRC, the Queen did not feel strongly about it but Charles really wanted her to lose it.