Prince Louis’ NEW NAME & TITLE Approved By The Queen Brings Catherine Many Tears Of Joy
Princess Catherine’s Deep Admiration for Queen Elizabeth II and Her Legacy
Whenever Princess Catherine speaks about the late Queen Elizabeth II, it’s evident how much admiration she held for the former monarch. Since the announcement of her engagement to Prince William and her official joining of the royal family, Catherine has consistently expressed high praise for the late Queen. Remarkably, it seems the admiration was mutual.
The impression Catherine gave was of a thoughtful and generous matriarch, a grandmother, and great-grandmother, who deeply cared for her family. Princess Catherine shared that Queen Elizabeth II would make her affection for her great-grandchildren, especially Prince Louis, abundantly clear through one key gesture.
A Significant Royal Rule Change: Prince Louis’s Title
If it weren’t for Queen Elizabeth II’s intervention, Prince Louis, the six-year-old known for his playful personality and cheeky antics at royal events, would be known by a very different name today. Officially, Prince Louis carries the name Prince Louis Arthur Charles. However, without the Queen’s rule change, he would not have held the title of prince at all.
In 1917, King George V introduced a royal rule limiting royal titles. According to this decree, only the children of the sovereign and the male-line grandchildren automatically received the titles of prince or princess with the style of His or Her Royal Highness (HRH). This meant that great-grandchildren of the monarch were excluded from receiving royal titles.
As a great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis would not have been entitled to the title of prince. Instead, he would likely have been known as Master Louis Mountbatten-Windsor, following the family surname used by royals without titles.
The Queen’s Decision in 2012
In 2012, prior to the birth of Prince George, Queen Elizabeth II issued a formal declaration that altered this rule. She extended the HRH titles and the prince or princess designations to all of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children. This decision ensured that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis would all hold their royal titles, reflecting their direct connection to the future monarch. Without this change, only Prince George—being the firstborn and direct heir—would have received the prince title, while Charlotte and Louis would not.
Personal Moments with the Queen: A Glimpse Behind Closed Doors
Speaking in a documentary to mark the late Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, Princess Catherine provided a rare glimpse into what the monarch was like behind closed doors, particularly in family settings. At that time, Prince Louis had not yet been born, but Catherine mentioned that Queen Elizabeth had made similar efforts for all her great-grandchildren.
Catherine explained that whenever they stayed with the Queen, she would always ensure a special surprise awaited the children, leaving a little gift or something personal in their rooms. This gesture, Catherine said, highlighted the Queen’s deep love for her family. The Princess also shared how Queen Elizabeth took a keen interest in her great-granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, who many observed closely resembled the Queen as a child.
Princess Catherine added that George, who was only two and a half at the time, called the Queen “Gong Gan,” a sweet nickname for his great-grandmother.
The First Meeting with Queen Elizabeth II
Back in 2010, when Prince William and Catherine announced their engagement, Catherine revealed in an interview that her first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II had been a solo one—William was not present. Their first meeting took place in 2008, when Peter Phillips (the son of Princess Anne) was marrying Autumn Kelly. William was out of the country at the time, but Catherine still attended the nuptials alone.
In a subsequent conversation, William recalled that his grandmother had been very welcoming during their first meeting. He explained, “She knew it was a big day with everything going on with Peter and Autumn, and she had wanted to meet Catherine for a while. It was very kind of her to come over and say hello.”
A Normal Upbringing for the Cambridge Children
Despite their royal status, Prince William and Princess Catherine are committed to giving their children as normal an upbringing as possible. This approach aligns with their shared goal of blending royal tradition with a grounded, relatable childhood for their children.
