Prince George is anticipated to receive a prestigious title before becoming king—unless Prince William chooses to break with tradition.
William, now 42, acquired the title from his father, King Charles, after the passing of the late queen in 2022.
Prince George to Inherit the Prince of Wales Title
Just as his father and grandfather before him, Prince George is expected to inherit the title of Prince of Wales before ascending to the throne. This custom, dating back to the 14th century, has been a longstanding tradition for heirs apparent.
The title was first given to Edward of Caernarfon in 1301 by his father, Edward I, following his conquest of Wales. Since then, the reigning monarch has typically bestowed this title upon the heir apparent.
The tradition saw a brief hiatus after 1936 when Edward VIII became king but did not pass the title on due to his lack of children. It was revived in 1958 when the late queen granted the title to Charles at the age of nine. Charles’s formal investiture as Prince of Wales occurred 11 years later at Caernarfon Castle, with approximately 500 million viewers witnessing the ceremony.
When Charles married Princess Diana, she became the first Princess of Wales since 1910, when Mary of Teck assumed the role as queen consort.
Prince George’s Anticipated Role as Prince of Wales
In 2022, King Charles conferred the title of Prince of Wales upon Prince William shortly after the queen’s death. Consequently, Kate Middleton became Princess of Wales.
It is now anticipated that William will pass this iconic title to his eldest son, Prince George, once he ascends to the throne. The monarchy heavily relies on tradition, and this is one such custom that is expected to continue.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, royal expert Huw Thomas expressed his astonishment at the possibility of Prince George not inheriting the title when he becomes heir apparent. “I’d be stunned if it disappeared, only because the monarchy is built on tradition,” Thomas remarked.
Royal Family’s Adherence to Tradition
Thomas elaborated on this, explaining, “It may not be an inherited title, but it is the tradition that the monarch gives their son the title Prince of Wales. So it would be quite stunning if they didn’t. History tells us they stick to tradition.”
He pointed out that Charles promptly passed the title to William shortly after becoming king. Thomas added, “And you would be surprised that if in future William thought, ‘now I’m going to kind of ditch this one.’”
Nevertheless, Thomas speculated that William might feel the need to differentiate himself from his father and not follow his every step. He acknowledged, however, that Charles did an “excellent” job as Prince of Wales, noting that the king navigated his responsibilities in Wales without any missteps.
