Breaking Down All of Kate Middleton and Prince William's Royal Titles and What They Mean

You have to wear a lot of hats to be in the royal family. And no, we're not just talking about fascinators.

Kate Middleton and Prince William recently expanded their duties when they were given new military appointments by King Charles III, adding to their already quite lengthy resume of titles.

In addition to being the Princess of Wales, Kate became the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Coningsby. Meanwhile, her husband added more military titles under his belt when he was named Colonel-in-Chief of The Mercian Regiment, Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Valley, where he previously spent three years as a search and rescue pilot.

"Following His Majesty's Accession, The King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working Members of the Royal Family," the palace said in a statement, per People. "The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family in His Majesty's reign."

The new appointments came nearly a year after the couple—who are parents to Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5—got a formal title upgrade when the line of succession shifted upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

And while they still are technically the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate are now officially the Prince and Princess of Wales—roles reserved for the heir apparent and his wife—after Charles ascended the throne as the new monarch. 

So, just how many titles do Kate and William have now? Read on to find out. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton were bestowed the title by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day, April 29, 2011. The last person to hold the dukedom prior to William was Queen Victoria's cousin Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, who died in 1904.

William was appointed the title in September 2022 following the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth and accession of his father King Charles III. In the change-up, Kate became Princess of Wales, a title previously held by William's mother Princess Diana during her marriage to Charles—then known as Prince Charles—from 1981 to 1996.

Given that Kate (born Catherine Middleton) did not come from a British royal family, her formal name is actually Catherine, Princess of Wales.

The couple also inherited this title upon King Charles' accession as the British monarch. The role was previously held by Charles and his wife Queen Camilla, who technically became the Princess of Wales when she married the royal in 2005 but opted to use her duchess title prior to becoming queen consort.

In Scotland, William and Kate are also known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, titles they inherited from King Charles and Queen Camilla when the line of succession shifted upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. Other Scottish titles they were bequeathed include Earl and Countess of Carrick, Baron and Baroness of Renfrew, and Lord and Lady of the Isles.

As the heir apparent, William additionally gained the title of Prince and Great Steward of Scotland when his dad became the new sovereign.

Queen Elizabeth bestowed the Scottish titles upon William and Kate on their wedding day. They couple were referred to as such before inheriting the title of Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in 2022.

In Northern Ireland, William and Kate are known as Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus, another title they received from Queen Elizabeth upon their marriage. Kate is also sometimes referred to as Lady Carrickfergus.

King Charles held the title of Earl of Chester from 1958 until his accession in 2022, when William inherited the role as the heir apparent. Through marriage, Kate took on the role of Countess of Chester.

In August 2006, William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland and Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines by Queen Elizabeth "in recognition of the strong links between the Royal Navy and the Royal Family," according to the royal family website.

In December 2022, Kate was appointed the Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role previously held by her husband. Meanwhile, William inherited the title of Colonel of the Welsh Guards from his dad King Charles.

Kate was named Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Coningsby by King Charles in August 2023.

The title of  Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards was one previously held by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1959 to 2002 and Charles from 2003 to 2023.

Kate landed her first senior role for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in becoming the a Royal Honorary Air Commodore for RAF Coningsby. The title is also a sweet nod to her grandfather Captain Peter Middleton, who flew alongside Queen Elizabeth's late husband Prince Philip during a two-month aerial tour of South America in 1962.

William was given the titles of Colonel-in-Chief of The Mercian Regiment and Colonel-in-Chief of Army Air Corps in August 2023 by his dad, King Charles, after a reshuffling of military appointments. In addition, he was appointed as Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Valley, where he previously spent three years as a search and rescue pilot.