Alright, buckle up because this is about to get a little twisty. When Princess Diana married Prince Charles back in 1981, the world instantly started referring to her as "Princess Diana." But here's the kicker: why doesn’t the same thing happen for Kate Middleton, who also married into the royal family? Let's break it down, because it's more complicated than you might think.

Kate Middleton: Both Princess and Duchess

Here's the scoop: Kate is absolutely a princess, even though we don’t call her that all the time. She’s also a Duchess, which might sound confusing, but stick with me. Her full title in England is “Her Royal Highness Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus.” Yes, that’s a mouthful! The reason for this is that when a woman marries a prince, she takes on his first name as part of her title. So, Kate becomes Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge.

Now, here’s the thing about British nobility: there are so many titles floating around that people usually opt to use their “major” one. In this case, Prince William is also known as the Duke of Cambridge, so Kate is most commonly referred to as Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge. It’s just simpler that way, right?

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Why Diana Was Called ‘Princess of Wales’

Things were a bit different for Diana when she tied the knot with Charles. Charles wasn’t just any prince—he was born into the role, and in 1969, he was officially named Prince of Wales. This meant that Diana inherited his primary title and became Diana, Princess of Wales. Plus, let’s not forget that Diana herself came from an aristocratic family, so she had royal connections before she even married Charles. It’s like she was destined for the spotlight from the get-go.

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Kate Honors Diana in Her Own Special Ways

Since marrying Prince William, Kate has paid tribute to her late mother-in-law in so many meaningful ways. One of the most touching moments was when she stood by William’s side as he re-dedicated his mom’s grave last summer. William has spoken openly about how much he wishes Diana could have been there to meet his family. “I would have loved her advice,” he once said. “I would have wanted her to meet Catherine and see the kids grow up. It breaks my heart that they’ll never know her.”

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