George V's 1917 Rule Still Shapes One of Three Royal Titles Kate, Camilla, and Meghan Hold

A rule King George V signed more than a century ago still affects how Catherine, Camilla, and Meghan are described today. Their shared connection traces back to him.

On November 30, 1917, George V issued Letters Patent that narrowed who could automatically become a prince or princess and use the style His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness. The rule did not give Catherine, Camilla, or Meghan their duchess titles. It shaped the princely status of the men they married, which then affected the royal styles available to them as wives.

That distinction explains why Catherine uses Her Royal Highness, Camilla now uses Her Majesty, and Meghan keeps her duchess title while leaving HRH unused.

What George V Changed in 1917

The 1917 Letters Patent automatically covered the sovereign's children, the children of the sovereign's sons, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

Other male line descendants generally received the styles used by children of dukes instead of Prince or Princess.

The rule appeared in The London Gazette on December 14, 1917. Its central framework remains active, although later sovereigns have changed specific applications.

The document controls two connected distinctions. Royal Highness is a style. Prince or Princess is a royal dignity. A dukedom follows separate rules involving a peerage grant, inheritance, or marriage.

One person can therefore hold several forms of status at once, each with a different source. This detail often causes confusion when similar royal names appear to follow the same rule.

How the Rule Reaches Catherine

Catherine's connection to the 1917 rule began when she married Prince William on April 29, 2011. William had qualified as His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales because his father, Charles, was a son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II made William Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus on the morning of the wedding. Catherine became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge when they married later that day.

Her duchess title came through William's peerage. Her use of HRH followed her marriage to a prince who held that style.

The position changed again after Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. William inherited the titles Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay when Charles became King. On September 9, Charles announced that William would become Prince of Wales.

Catherine then became The Princess of Wales through marriage. The Royal Family officially styles her Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.

Catherine did not receive the status of a British princess at birth. William's position gave her access to HRH through marriage. Her current title therefore depends on his position as Prince of Wales rather than a personal grant under the 1917 Letters Patent.

Why Camilla's Style Changed

Camilla's royal style changed twice, first when she married the Prince of Wales in 2005 and again when he became King in 2022.

George VI had made Charles Prince Charles of Edinburgh through separate Letters Patent before Elizabeth II became Queen. When she became sovereign on February 6, 1952, Charles also became the sovereign's son.

Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005. She became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.

As the wife of the Prince of Wales, Camilla was also legally entitled to use Princess of Wales. She publicly used Duchess of Cornwall instead. That choice reflected the title's strong association with Diana, Princess of Wales.

Queen Elizabeth II stated on February 5, 2022, that she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort when Charles became King. Charles became King on September 8, 2022.

Camilla then stopped using Her Royal Highness because the sovereign's wife uses the higher style Her Majesty. The Royal Family now officially styles her Her Majesty The Queen.

The 1917 rule helped shape Charles's princely status and Camilla's earlier HRH style. It does not control her current position as Queen.

Why Meghan Keeps Duchess but Does Not Use HRH

Meghan received the Duchess of Sussex title and the HRH style when she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. Harry qualified as a prince and Royal Highness because his father was a son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II made Harry Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel on the day of the wedding. Meghan became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex through the marriage.

Meghan became a princess through marriage because Harry was a prince. She used Duchess of Sussex as her main public title rather than Princess Henry of Wales.

The situation changed after Harry and Meghan stepped back as working members of the Royal Family. The January 18, 2020 agreement stated that they would not use their HRH titles.

The wording focused on use. No published Letters Patent removed the styles. The Royal Family currently lists Meghan as The Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton, and Baroness Kilkeel without HRH.

Her duchess title remains because Harry still holds the Duke of Sussex peerage. Her unused HRH style came through marriage to a prince whose status followed the royal title framework.

The Modern Example Involving Archie and Lilibet

The accession of King Charles III changed the title position of Archie and Lilibet on September 8, 2022.

Archie had been born on May 6, 2019, and Lilibet on June 4, 2021. During Queen Elizabeth II's reign, they were great grandchildren of the sovereign and did not automatically qualify as Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet under the original rule.

When Charles became King, they became children of a son of the sovereign. That placed them within a group covered by the 1917 Letters Patent.

The Royal Family now officially styles them Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

A separate change had already protected William's children. Queen Elizabeth II issued Letters Patent on December 31, 2012, extending HRH and princely status to every child of William.

Under George V's original wording, only William's eldest son would have qualified automatically during Elizabeth II's reign. The 2012 decision ensured equal treatment for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

One Old Rule, Three Different Outcomes

Catherine, Camilla, and Meghan share one indirect connection to George V's 1917 decision. Each married a prince whose status depended on royal title rules. That marriage opened the path to HRH.

Later events changed each woman's position and produced different outcomes.

Catherine still uses Her Royal Highness as the wife of the Prince of Wales. Camilla moved to Her Majesty when Charles became King. Meghan retains The Duchess of Sussex but does not publicly use HRH under the 2020 arrangement.

The three cases show that royal titles follow separate rules. HRH, Princess, Duchess, Princess of Wales, and Queen each have different legal or traditional foundations.

George V's 1917 Letters Patent still shape one part of that system, but marriage, peerage grants, accession, and decisions by the sovereign determine the final title the public sees.