Kate Middleton Asked by King Charles to Change Spelling of Her Name, New Book Claims
A new book claims that Kate Middleton was asked to change the spelling of her name ahead of her 2011 wedding to Prince William.
The request reportedly came from King Charles and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, claims royal author Christopher Anderson. His latest deep dive into the royal family is called Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen.
According to Marie Claire, the future Princess of Wales was asked to change the first letter of her name. Although most Americans know the princess as Kate, her preferred and legal name is Catherine.
The reason, according to Marie Claire, is that Charles and Camilla, then the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall at the time of the couple's wedding, were using a royal monogram featuring two interlocking "C"s beneath a coronet. Charles was said to believe that another "C" monogram was too similar to the senior royal's logo.
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Marie Claire excerpted commentary from Anderson's book. He wrote that, "'Catherine' was asked to change her name to 'Katherine,' which Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, felt was a logical progression since the world knew her as 'Kate.'" Reportedly this request didn't sit well with either Kate or her husband-to-be William.
Anderson's claim was first brought to public attention by William's brother, Prince Harry, in his 2023 memoir Spare, as reported by PEOPLE Magazine. The Duke of Sussex was reportedly shocked by his father's suggestion.
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"Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested," Harry said in the book. The Duke of Sussex was reportedly dumbfounded. "I turned to Willy, gave him a look that said, ‘You listening to this?' His face was blank."
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The name change did not occur. Kate and William married in April 2011, and their royal monogram remained as planned.
Prince William regularly refers to his wife as Catherine in interviews. She is also known by that name in official royal communications.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 8:59 AM.