Prince Louis may be famous around the world as the cheeky youngest child of Prince William, the heir to the British throne, and his wife Catherine.
Yet, as a high-ranking member of the royal family, currently 4th in the line of succession to the crown, Prince Louis has already had a number of royal titles. And there may be more to come as he gets older, especially if his father becomes king, as expected, in a decade or two’s time.
HRH Prince Louis
As the son of the heir to the throne of Great Britain, Louis, the third child of William and Catherine, is a royal prince.
As such, he has been known as Prince Louis since he was born in 2018.
As a royal prince – with none of the complications that have plagued other royal princes and princesses in recent years – Prince Louis also has the HRH styling, i.e. he can be officially referred to as His Royal Highness.
Prince Louis Of Cambridge
When Prince Louis was born, his father, Prince William, was formally titled the Duke of Cambridge, and his mother, Catherine, was formally titled the Duchess of Cambridge.
As a result, Prince Louis’ first formal title was HRH Prince Louis of Cambridge, though, like his father, he would likely have also used the surname Windsor if one was required.
Similarly, Louis’ siblings were titled HRH Prince George of Cambridge and HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
Prince Louis Of Wales
When Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, Prince Louis’ father became the new Prince of Wales, and so the titles for all the family were also changed to reflect this new, higher status within the royal family. (Prince of Wales is traditionally the title granted to the heir and eldest son of the monarch.)
So, Prince Louis’ parents became formally known as HRH Prince William, Prince of Wales, and HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales. Prince Louis was given the new title, Prince Louis of Wales, and his siblings also received new titles – Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales.
These new titles are likely to be in place for the foreseeable future. No changes are expected to the titles of the Prince and Princess of Wales (and by default, their children) until the death of the current king, Charles III.
A Future Duke?
It’s very likely that, as he gets older, Prince Louis will also be granted a dukedom, i.e. the title of Duke.
It’s been a tradition within the British Royal Family that the second son of the monarch is granted the title of Duke of York.
This is the scenario that saw Prince Andrew, who was the second son of Queen Elizabeth, being granted the title of Duke of York on his wedding day.
Customarily, this title would have been hereditary, i.e. it could have been passed onto male heirs. However, the current Duke of York only has daughters, so it’s believed the title will revert to the Crown when Prince Andrew dies. (Meaning that the reigning sovereign will then be able to choose who will receive the title in future.)
So, it’s possible, and quite likely, that Prince Louis may be granted the title when he is older.
It may be given to him as a new title on his wedding day, as has become the tradition for royal marriages. Or it may be granted to him under other circumstances.
For example, if Prince William ascends to the throne as expected, he may choose to grant the title to his youngest son even before his marriage – assuming the title is no longer held by the current Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
Another possibility for Prince Louis is that he may receive the title of Duke of Edinburgh. This is the esteemed title held for many decades by Prince Louis’ great-grandfather, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
This is not a hereditary title, and so when Prince Philip died in 2021, the title reverted back to the crown, to await the discretion of the monarch to decide on the new recipient.
In March 2023, the title was granted to Prince Edward, the former Earl of Wessex. It’s believed that this was the intended plan for this title, which is why Prince Edward was given the title of Earl upon his marriage, rather than a dukedom like his older brothers
It’s also thought that the Duke of Edinburgh may be intended for another youngest son, i.e. Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William. So, it may well be that in the future Prince Louis becomes the latest in a long and esteemed line of Dukes of Edinburgh.
Royal Titles For Prince Louis’ Siblings
The above options are some of the potential future royal titles for Prince Louis – but what of his royal siblings?
It’s possible that his older sister Prince Charlotte may one day receive the title of Princess Royal. This title is customarily granted to the eldest daughter of the monarch. Princess Anne received the title of Princess Royal, as she was the eldest daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.
In a similar convention to the Duke of Edinburgh title, the title of Princess Royal is not hereditary, and reverts to the crown when the recipient dies. It’s likely that Princess Charlotte may be given the title in the future, but only after the death of her great aunt, Princess Anne.
However, it’s possible that when Prince William is king, he could decide to change the tradition and may grant Princess Charlotte a new title or a different royal title.
Given the tendencies of modernization that Prince William has already revealed, along with the new laws that allow for gender equality within the line of inheritance, there may be some surprises in store.
Perhaps Princess Charlotte will be titled Duchess of York, or may be Duchess of Edinburgh. There’s even a chance that Princess Charlotte could become queen.
The expected title for Prince George is much more straightforward, as he is likely to become Prince of Wales one day, and ultimately, King of England
Whether Prince Louis becomes a Duke of York, a Duke of Edinburgh, or some other title altogether, there’s little doubt that HRH Prince Louis of Wales will play a prominent role in the future of the British monarchy, along with his royal siblings.