(LONDON) — Prince William and Kate will take on the titles of the prince and princess of Wales following the death Thursday of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
William’s father, King Charles III, announced their new titles in a nationally televised speech Friday, his first as king.
“Our new prince and princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations,” Charles said in the prerecorded message.
William and Kate, the parents of three children, are now the first couple to use the titles of prince and princess of Wales since they were used by William’s parents, Charles and the late Princess Diana.
Charles’s current wife, Camilla, never used the title, going by the duchess of Cornwall instead. She is now queen consort with Charles’s accession to king.
William, now the heir to the throne, also assumes Charles’ title the duke of Cornwall and inherits the duchy of Cornwall, the private estate that was established in 1337 to provide financial independence for the heir to the throne and his family.
“As my heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me,” Charles said in his speech. “He succeeds me as duke of Cornwall, and takes on the responsibilities for the duchy of Cornwall, which I have undertaken for more than five decades.”
Kate, formerly the duchess of Cambridge, inherits the new title of the duchess of Cornwall.
William and Kate and their children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, recently moved from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
On the day of the queen’s death, George, Charlotte and Louis attended their first day of school at Lambrook School in Berkshire, a preparatory school for children ages 3-13 in South East England.
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