Prince William is Changing Royal Protocol: Key 2025 Updates

Most royal watchers know Prince William as the future king who’s spent decades training for the job. What’s less discussed is how he’s already begun reshaping the institution’s rules from inside the palace walls. Since taking on more visible royal duties, William has signaled a willingness to modernize traditions his family has held for generations—and some of those changes are quietly restructuring who gets what title and who gets left out.

Protocol Changes Announced: 5 recent shifts · Succession Line Impacted: Prince George next · Modernization Focus: Shorter tours, selfies allowed · Inheritance Disparity: Harry millions, William billions · Title Changes Planned: For Charlotte, Catherine, Camilla

The table below summarizes the major royal protocol updates affecting titles, succession, and public engagement.

What will Princess Charlotte be called when William is King?

Princess Charlotte occupies a unique position in British royal history. Born with absolute primogeniture protections under the Succession Act of 2012, she became the first royal female to outrank a younger brother in the line of succession. Yet the 1917 Letters Patent issued by George V creates a potential anomaly: if the rules aren’t updated, Charlotte’s future children could lose titles while Prince Louis’s descendants might receive them despite ranking lower in succession order, according to Royal Central (royal commentary publication).

Current title

Charlotte currently holds the title Princess of Wales, inherited from her father. The 1917 Letters Patent grants HRH and prince/princess titles to children of a monarch and grandchildren in the male line. This creates complications that William will need to address.

Succession impact

The 2012 laws changed succession to absolute primogeniture across Commonwealth realms, ending male preference. However, the 1917 Letters Patent hasn’t been updated to reflect this change. Royal Central reports that William will need to issue new Letters Patent to resolve these title anomalies for his descendants.

Protocol changes

King Charles III set a precedent by removing the HRH and prince titles from Prince Andrew in 2023, demonstrating that monarchs can change titles through prerogative. This shows William has the tools to reform the system once he takes the throne.

The implication: Charlotte’s future children won’t automatically receive HRH titles unless William updates the Letters Patent—a reform already recognized as necessary by royal experts.

What will Catherine be called when William is King?

When William ascends, Catherine will automatically assume the title Queen Consort—a transition that follows centuries of precedent. Unlike Camilla, whose title stems from marriage to the monarch, Catherine’s title derives from being the spouse of the sovereign in direct succession.

Queen Consort title

Royal Central confirms that Catherine will be styled as Queen Consort, distinguishing her role from any previous queen. Historical precedent exists for this transition, though the specific protocol for a future queen consort has evolved over recent decades.

Kate Middleton transition

The transition from Catherine, Princess of Wales to Queen Consort follows the established pattern of royal spouses. Her role will include representing the monarchy at state occasions and carrying out charitable work across the royal foundations she supports.

Royal protocol updates

Queen Elizabeth II expressed her “sincere wish” in February 2022 for Camilla to be known as Queen Consort upon Charles’s accession, according to Wikipedia (historical records compilation). This precedent established that the spouse of a monarch receives the Queen Consort title, regardless of previous public perception.

What happens to Camilla if William becomes King?

This is where royal protocol gets complicated. Camilla currently holds the title Queen Consort, obtained after Charles’s accession in September 2022. Upon Charles’s death, constitutional law dictates that Camilla’s title transfers automatically to the new queen—Catherine.

Title downgrade rumors

Camilla will likely become Queen Dowager upon William’s accession, distinguishing her from Queen Catherine. Royal Central’s analysis identifies this as the most constitutionally appropriate title for a widowed queen consort who is not the mother of the sovereign. The title “Queen Mother” won’t apply since Camilla is not William’s biological mother.

Role in new reign

The Queen Dowager title carries no constitutional function but may allow continued charity work. Camilla could potentially use lesser titles like Princess Dowager or Duchess of Cornwall, though historical sources indicate Queen Dowager remains most appropriate.

Family dynamics

Royal Central reports that several of Camilla’s current privileges—like her position in the Order of Precedence and her role at Trooping the Colour—would end automatically upon Charles’s death. William controls Sovereign Grant allocation, Clarence House residency, and security levels for Camilla post-accession.

What this means: Camilla faces a significant reduction in public role and protocol standing once Charles passes, regardless of what title she ultimately uses.

What do William’s kids call Camilla?

Current royal protocol dictates that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis call Camilla “Grandma” or use her formal titles. The royal household has maintained this arrangement since Charles and Camilla married in 2005.

Current naming

Royal sources indicate the children have been raised to view Camilla as a grandmother figure within the family structure. This represents a significant shift from the tensions that existed during the earlier years of Charles and Camilla’s relationship.

Future protocol

Should William become king, the children’s formal address for Camilla would depend on her chosen title. If she adopts Queen Dowager, protocol would likely shift toward a more formal address reflecting her standing as the previous queen consort.

Family titles

The grandchildren’s relationship to Camilla ties into the larger succession question. Since Camilla isn’t their biological grandmother, traditional grandmother titles don’t carry the same weight as they would for someone like the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The catch: William’s protocol reforms could standardize how extended royal family members address each other, creating clearer rules that apply across the board—something the current system lacks.

Who is richer, Prince William or Harry?

The wealth disparity between the two brothers is substantial. Prince William inherited a multi-billion-pound fortune through the Duchy of Lancaster estate, while Prince Harry received a reported £2 million inheritance from Princess Diana and a £9 million payout from the Prince’s , plus his Netflix deal valued at around £80 million.

Inheritance details

William’s position as heir apparent grants him access to the Duchy of Lancaster revenues, which generate tens of millions annually. These funds support his official duties and household expenses. Harry, after stepping back from working royal duties, no longer receives income from the sovereign grant.

Net worth estimates

Various estimates place William’s net worth in the billions when considering his share of the Duchy, family investments, and property holdings. Harry’s net worth, while substantial from the Netflix deal and book deals, remains considerably lower than his brother’s position would suggest.

Protocol wealth implications

The inheritance gap reflects a fundamental principle of monarchy: the heir apparent receives institutional wealth tied to the sovereign role, while non-sovereign family members must build independent income streams.