The outdated rule that means Princess Charlotte may not get same royal titles as her brothers when they grow up

It's all simply because Charlotte is a girl

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and prince Louis
(Image credit: Jonathan Brady - Pool/Getty Images and Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Princess Charlotte will likely not been gifted the same royal titles as her brothers when they grow up and it's all thanks to an outdated royal rule that leaves out royal women. 


Princess Charlotte may have been the first female in the Royal Family who did not lose her place in the royal line of succession when her family welcomed another baby boy, but that does not mean she won't be affected by other outdated rules throughout the course of her lifetime. 

Despite her high royal status, the fact she is the 'richest' royal grandchild, and that she already has a very dedicated approach to royal duty that has many believing she will one day hold a very special royal title and will also step into an important role by ‘helping share some of the burden’ on her brother Prince George, Charlotte is still set to miss out on one royal title that her brothers will undoubtedly receive.

Unlike her mother Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, while she will receive new royal titles as she grows up, will not become a Duchess on her wedding day despite the fact that her brothers will become Dukes when they marry. 

Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

It all comes down to the fact that Charlotte is a girl. In order to become a Duchess on her wedding day, Charlotte would have to marry someone who is already a Duke so she can hold the title. However, her brothers Princes George and Louis will receive a Dukedom on their wedding day, gifted to them by the monarch, no matter who they decide to wed.

But there is hope. Charlotte was the first royal female not to lose her position in the royal line of succession after The Firm amended the Succession to the Crown Act in 2013 to ensure gender-equal succession. That means that younger male airs no longer automatically overtake older females in the line of succession. 

By making this amendment, the Royal Family have caused some uncertainty among experts and royal fans about how they will possibly handle changing the gifting of Dukedoms on male members' wedding days to also include Duchessdoms for female members. 

Royal historian Marlene Koenig told Hello! Magazine, “Now with gender-equal succession, I think it would be more possible to grant a peerage to Charlotte.

Prince Louis will get one when he marries, so it would only be fair if Charlotte was named a Duchess on her wedding day. She and her children will be ahead of Louis’ line in the succession.”

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

(Image credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Charlotte's mum Kate Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William after the pair met at University in Scotland. The only reason she became a Duchess was because late Queen Elizabeth II bestowed her husband William with the Dukedom of Cambridge.

Similarly, the late Queen gifted Prince Harry the Dukedom of Sussex on his wedding day, making Meghan Markle the Duchess of Sussex. 

The Queen's own sons, King Charles III, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were all bestowed with titles when they married but the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, was given no such honour on either of her wedding days. 

News writer

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.