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Princess Charlotte: How the Princess Royal title passes from Princess Anne | Explainer
Royal watchers are often commenting on the regal nature of Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Despite her young age, she is known for her uncanny resemblance to her great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and her incredible poise.
But while her older brother Prince George will one day be king, Princess Charlotte is also destined for a bigger role in the royal family, which will come with a special new title.
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As the eldest, and in fact only daughter of a future King William V, it is customary Princess Charlotte will one day hold the title of Princess Royal.
The title is currently held by King Charles’ sister Princess Anne, and must be bestowed by the monarch, in the same way the monarch gives the Prince of Wales title to their male heir.
It is a lifelong title, meaning Princess Anne will retain the title until her death, even if Prince William is by then king.
Royal expert and author Duncan Larcombe told Town and Country in 2018, “The title of Princess Royal is traditionally bestowed on the eldest daughter of the monarch.
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“[But] it is a title that remains for life, so Princess Charlotte will have to wait at least until the death of the current Princess Royal.”
The history of the Princess Royal title
The Princess Royal title was created in 1642, and only seven people have held it.
The first was Princess Mary, who was also known as Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau.
Born in St James’s Palace, London, on November 4, 1631, the eldest daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria was given the title Princess Royal to mark her 18th birthday in 1642.
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The title was created at the suggestion of her French-born mother, whose father was King Henry IV of France.
She wanted to imitate the styling given to the eldest daughter of the French monarch, which was ‘Madame Royale’.
What happens to the title when the current holder dies?
After Princess Mary died of smallpox in 1660, the title went back to the crown, and remained unused for 49 years.
The next person to hold the title was another Princess Anne – the eldest daughter of King George II and Queen Caroline.
She was created Princess Royal in 1727 and held the title until her death in 1759.
Is it automatically passed down?
No, the title is not automatically passed down.
In fact, not all the eldest daughters of the monarch have held the title, and there are often long periods when the Princess Royal title is not in use.
At least two of the eldest daughters of the monarch were not given the title.
Princess Mary, who was born in 1662 and was the daughter of the future King James II, never held the title.
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She went on to jointly rule as Queen Mary II alongside her husband William III.
Princess Sophia Dorothea, born in 1687 and the only daughter of the future King George I, also never used the title.
By the time a change in the line of succession as a result of the Settlement Act saw her father become King, she was already the Queen of Prussia through marriage.
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Has a Princess Royal ever become Queen?
No, but there was an instance when a Princess Royal was also the heir to the throne.
Princess Victoria, the fourth person to hold the title, was born in 1840 and was the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Her mother created her Princess Royal the year after her birth, which meant she was simultaneously both the heir to the Crown and Princess Royal, albeit briefly.
However, she ceased to be heir following the birth of her younger brother Albert in 1841.
Prior to Princess Anne, four more princesses held the Princess Royal title, including Princess Charlotte, Princess Victoria, Princess Louise and finally Princess Mary, who was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary – the grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II.
The sister of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, held the title until her death in 1965.
When did Princess Anne become Princess Royal?
It took 22 years for Queen Elizabeth to bestow the title on Princess Anne in June 1987, when she was 36.
It is not known why the Queen chose to bestow the title when she did.
“Princess Anne had to wait until 1987 before her mother the Queen bestowed the title of Princess Royal on her, even though the title had been vacant since 1965,” Larcombe said.
The Princess Royal, now 74, has been one of the hardest working members of the royal family, often carrying out more royal engagements than anyone else.
She has been a great support to King Charles, especially since he was diagnosed with cancer.
Can Zara Tindall become Princess Royal?
No. Princess Royal is not an hereditary title, meaning it is not passed down, so Princess Anne’s daughter Zara has no right to it.
The title is reserved solely for the eldest daughter of the monarch.
Could any other princesses?
At this time, no.
Had King Charles had a daughter, he could have created her Princess Royal during his time as monarch, but only after the title reverted back to the Crown following the death of Princess Anne.
The royal habit Charlotte has nailed since she was a toddler
When can Princess Charlotte become Princess Royal?
Princess Royal is an honorary title and does not occur automatically.
While it is reserved for the daughter of the monarch it is also lifelong, meaning even after Prince William becomes king, he cannot bestow the title on Charlotte until the current title holder, Princess Anne, passes away.
With Princess Anne’s grandmother, the Queen Mother, and both her parents living into their 90s, there is no reason to think she will not enjoy an equally long life.
That means Princess Charlotte could be in her 30s before the title of Princess Royal reverts back to the Crown, offering her father the chance to honour her in the same way the Queen honoured her own daughter 38 years ago.
Who will be the next Princess Royal after Charlotte?
If Charlotte’s brother Prince George has a daughter at the time he accedes the throne, he would be able to create her Princess Royal, but again, only after the title becomes vacant following the death of Princess Charlotte, if in fact her father ever gives her the title.
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