William, Prince of Wales
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educat ...
, has received numerous titles, decorations and honorary appointments both during his time as
Duke of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...
and
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
. Each is listed below; where two dates are shown, the first indicates the date of receiving the title or award (the title as Prince William of Wales being given as from his birth) and the second indicates the date of its loss or renunciation.
Royal and noble titles and styles
![Badge of Prince of Wales](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Badge_of_Prince_of_Wales.svg)
* 21 June 1982 – 29 April 2011: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Wales
* 29 April 2011 – 8 September 2022: ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Cambridge
** ''In Scotland:'' 29 April 2011 – 8 September 2022: ''His Royal Highness'' The Earl of Strathearn
* 8–9 September 2022: ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge
** ''In Scotland:'' 8 September 2022 – present: ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Rothesay
* 9 September 2022 – present: ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Wales
From birth, William has been a
British prince
Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a royal title normally granted to sons and grandsons of reigning and past British monarchs. The title is granted by the reigning monarch, who is the fount of all honours, thro ...
with the style of ''
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''.
When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...
'' and the territorial designation "of Wales". On his wedding day, 29 April 2011, his grandmother
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
created him
Duke of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...
,
Earl of Strathearn
Earl or Mormaer of Strathearn is a title of Scottish nobility, referring to the region of Strathearn in southern Perthshire. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mo ...
and
Baron Carrickfergus
Baron Carrickfergus is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom, referring to Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Its current holder, since its creation on 29 April 2011, is William, Prince of Wales, who was granted the title ...
. The
letters patent granting these titles were issued on 26 May that year.
Between his marriage and his father's accession to the throne, he was referred to as the Duke of Cambridge outside Scotland, and as the Earl of Strathearn within Scotland.
On the demise of Elizabeth II and the accession of his father on 8 September 2022, as the eldest son of the monarch, he automatically became in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
the
Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch, previously the English monarch. The duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in England and was established by a ro ...
and in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
the
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay ( ; gd, Diùc Baile Bhòid; sco, Duik o Rothesay) is a dynastic title of the heir apparent to the British throne, currently William, Prince of Wales. William's wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the current Duchess of R ...
,
Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...
,
Baron of Renfrew,
Lord of the Isles
The Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles
( gd, Triath nan Eilean or ) is a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title w ...
, and
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. The current holder of these titles is Prince William, who bears the other Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick ...
. On 9 September 2022, the King announced the appointment of William as
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
and
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and a ...
. He is now referred to as the Prince of Wales outside Scotland, and as the Duke of Rothesay within Scotland.
Surname
As a
British prince
Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a royal title normally granted to sons and grandsons of reigning and past British monarchs. The title is granted by the reigning monarch, who is the fount of all honours, thro ...
, William does not use a surname for everyday purposes. For formal and ceremonial purposes, children of the Prince of Wales use the title "prince" or "princess" before their forename and follow it with their father's territorial designation. Thus, before becoming a duke when he married, Prince William was styled "Prince William of Wales". Such territorial designations are discarded by women when they marry and by men if they become
peers
Peers may refer to:
People
* Donald Peers
* Edgar Allison Peers, English academician
* Gavin Peers
* John Peers, Australian tennis player
* Kerry Peers
* Mark Peers
* Michael Peers
* Steve Peers
* Teddy Peers (1886–1935), Welsh international ...
in their own right, such as when Prince William was made a duke.
Although the name of the royal house is
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
, the surname ''
Mountbatten-Windsor
Mountbatten-Windsor is the personal surname used by some of the male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Under a declaration made in Privy Council in 1960, the name '' Mountbatten- Windsor'' applies to ...
'' belongs to all the children and male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and is used, if needed, by those who do not have the style of Royal Highness and the title Prince or Princess; when a female descendant marries, she traditionally takes her husband's surname from that point onward, and their children take their father's. Both Princes William and
Harry
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
used ''Wales'' as their surname for military purposes; this continued to be the case for William after his creation as Duke of Cambridge.
Military ranks
![Procession to Lying-in-State of Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall - 65](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Procession_to_Lying-in-State_of_Elizabeth_II_at_Westminster_Hall_-_65.jpg)
;
*
** 8 January 2006:
Officer cadet
Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Ai ...
** 16 December 2006:
Cornet
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...
(
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
), The
Blues and Royals
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment in ...
(short service commission)
** 16 December 2006:
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
, The Blues and Royals
** 1 January 2009:
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, The Blues and Royals (and transferred to a full regular commission)
** 1 January 2016:
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
*
** 1 January 2008:
Sub-lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces.
In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...
** 1 January 2009:
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
** 1 January 2016:
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
*
** 1 January 2008:
Flying Officer
** 1 January 2009:
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
** 1 January 2016:
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
University degrees
Commonwealth Realms
![Duke and Duchess of Cambridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Duke_and_Duchess_of_Cambridge.JPG)
Appointments (Shown in order in which appointments were made, not order of precedence)
Decorations and medals (Shown in order in which appointments were made, not order of precedence)
Wear of orders, decorations and medals
The ribbons worn regularly by William in undress uniform are as follows:
With medals, William normally wears the breast stars of the Garter and Thistle. When only one should be worn, he wears the Order of the Garter star, except in Scotland where the Scottish Order of the Thistle star is worn.
;
Honorary military appointments
![Prince William Trooping the Colour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Prince_William_Trooping_the_Colour.JPG)
; Canada
* 10 November 2009:
Honorary Canadian Ranger
; United Kingdom
* Since 8 August 2006: Commodore-in-Chief of the
Royal Navy Submarine Service
The Royal Navy Submarine Service is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the Silent Service, as submarines are generally required to operate undetected.
The service operates six fleet submarines ( SSNs) ...
* Since 8 August 2006: Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland
* Since 3 October 2008: Honorary Air Commandant of
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and ho ...
* 10 February 2011 – 21 December 2022: Colonel of the
Irish Guards
("Who Shall Separate s")
, colors =
, identification_symbol_2 Saffron (pipes), identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan
, identification_symbol =
, identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition F ...
* Since 21 December 2022: Colonel of the
Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards (WG; cy, Gwarchodlu Cymreig), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V. ...
Non-national titles and honours
Member and fellowships
Religious
Honorific eponyms
Buildings
* : Duke of Cambridge Public School,
Bowmanville
Bowmanville is a town of approximately 40,000 people located in the Municipality of Clarington, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately east of Toronto, and east of Oshawa along Highway 2. Bowmanville was first incorporated as a to ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
Awards
* : Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Award,
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality ...
,
Waterloo, Ontario
* : Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's
Parks Canada Youth Ambassadors Program
Flowers
*
Royal William rose
See also
*
List of titles and honours of Charles III
King Charles III has received numerous titles, decorations, and honorary appointments both during his time as heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms and as King of the United Kingdom. Each is ...
*
List of titles and honours of Catherine, Princess of Wales
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has received several titles, decorations and honorary appointments both during her time as Duchess of Cambridge and Princess of Wales. Each is listed below; where two dates are shown, the first indicates the date of r ...
*
List of titles and honours of Queen Camilla
*
List of titles and honours of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) held numerous titles and honours, both during and before her time as monarch of each of her Commonwealth realms. Each is listed below; where two dates are shown, the first indicates the date of r ...
*
List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021), received numerous titles, decorations and honorary appointments, both before and during his time as consort to Queen Elizabeth II. Each is listed below. Where two dates are shown, t ...
*
List of titles and honours of George VI
*
List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
*
List of titles and honours of Mary of Teck
*
List of titles and honours of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
*
List of honours of the British royal family by country
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:William, Wales, Prince of
William, Prince of Wales
Lists of titles by person of the United Kingdom
British monarchy-related lists
Commonwealth royal styles
Knights of the Garter
Knights of the Thistle