Prince William's 'unlucky' title that George or Louis could have one day
Members of the Royal Family have hugely important official titles and styles that date back centuries, and it is no different today - whether you are talking about the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Gloucester or the Earl of Wessex. For example, The King's full and official title is: Charles III, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of his other realms and territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
Following King Charles' succession, Prince William gained seven new titles as he became the Prince of Wales. From his wedding to September 2022, Prince William had three titles of his own which were used in various countries around the UK, including being known as the Duke of Cambridge.
Even though his new senior titles outrank his former style, Prince William is still the Duke of Cambridge and could one day pass the title onto Prince George or Prince Louis. The history of the Dukedom of Cambridge dates back to the reign of King Charles II and is tainted with sadness.
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The Dukedom of Cambridge was first created during King Charles II's reign in 1660 and Prince William is the eighth person to hold the title. The position is marred by sadness as within 17 years of the title's first creation, there had been four different holders owing to various tragedies.
During the reign of King Charles II, the first Duke of Cambridge was his eldest nephew, Charles Stuart, however Charles died at just six months old. The next in line was his younger brother, James Stuart but tragedy struck when the young royal died from either smallpox or the bubonic plague.
The King then made his third oldest nephew, Edgar Stuart, the Duke of Cambridge but he died at the age of three. The fourth title holder was their younger brother, Charles Stuart, who once again passed away very young at just 35-days old.
The title was not used again until 1706 when Queen Anne made the future King George II the fifth Duke of Cambridge. The title was then reissued by King George III to his seventh son, Prince Adolphus. It then passed to the prince's son, Prince George and became extinct after his death as his marriage had violated The Royal Marriages Act of 1772.
The heir to the Dukedom of Cambridge is currently Prince George, but whether he will ever inherit the title or not depends on when his father inherits the throne and when he eventually marries.
If Prince George becomes the Prince of Wales earlier than expected, it is possible that Prince Louis could become the next Duke of Cambridge. However, if George inherits his father's current title, Louis could get a different royal dukedom which is traditionally held by the second son of the monarch.
The Duke of York title is currently held by Prince Andrew and he would either have to be stripped of his title or pass away before it was free for the next holder.
Previous Dukes of York include the late Queen’s grandfather, King George V and her father, King George VI (meaning she was known as Princess Elizabeth of York until her father became the king in 1936) - so there were several significant sentimental links for the former monarch.
