kate and letizia in black and white© Getty

Queen Letizia's majestic names for Prince William and Princess Kate

The Prince and Princess of Wales pick up totally different names when they travel to Spain

Lifestyle Writer
February 16, 2024

Catherine, Kate, the Princess of Wales, the former Duchess of Cambridge – all names that Princess Kate is known by in the UK. But when she and Prince William travel abroad they are known by totally different names that we may not all be aware of. 

Though the former Kate Middleton is widely known as Princess Kate, her official title is Catherine, Princess of Wales, until she travels to Spain, that is. Though in English the names of the Spanish royals are not translated (King Felipe does not become King Phillip), when spoken about in Spanish, Princess Kate becomes "Catalina".

kate and letizia in teal© Getty
British royals have Spanish names

Meanwhile, Prince William becomes "Principe Guillermo" and the same goes for their three children. Prince George translates to "Jorge", whilst Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis become "Carlota" and "Luis" respectively.

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William and Kate are known by different names in Spain

The same goes for His Majesty The King. In English, King Charles has an official title that is quite the mouthful – "Charles III, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of his other realms and territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

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The King has the longest of titles

In Commonwealth countries, his title changes again with the monarch being known as the "Paramount Chief" in Fiji and "The White Heron" by the Maori people of New Zealand.

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Charles' name translates to El Rey Carlos III

In Spain, the King's name gets a whole new breath of life as he is known as "El Rey Carlos III", whilst Prince Harry takes on the new name "Principe Enrique", and the late Queen's reign was known as "La Reina Isabel II".

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King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, during a reception at Buckingham Palace for overseas guests attending Charles' coronation

The Spanish royals have developed a close relationship with William and Kate. In 2017, King Felipe and Queen Letizia travelled to the UK for a three-day state visit that included a state carriage procession as well as a Buckingham Palace banquet hosted by the late Queen.

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Princess Kate welcomed royals from the Netherlands and Spain to the UK in 2019

Kate and Letizia were seen in coordinating black and white outfits with matching black fascinators during the Garter Day procession in 2019. The royal ladies seemed to get on like a house on fire as they rode in the carriage with their husbands.

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Letizia and Kate were seen bonding in 2019

 Letizia and Felipe also put on their smartest dress to attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla last May. The Spanish Queen wowed in a gorgeous bubblegum pink peplum co-ord with a saucer-shaped hat with pink net detailing.

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Letizia wore pink to King Charles' coronation

Beyond the names that the Spanish royals have for the British royals, there are nicknames that the British royals have for each other. Meghan Markle has previously revealed that her mother Doria Ragland still calls her "flower". On her Spotify podcast, Archetypes, Meghan admitted, "I'll be a 41-year-old Flower. That’s fine."

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Meghan has a sweet nickname for Harry

It's not just Meghan's mother dishing out the nicknames. The Duchess herself has been known to call her husband "Haz" and Harry has been heard calling his son Archie "our little man".

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Harry and Meghan loved their time in Canada with Archie

DISCOVER: Queen Letizia takes fashion tips from Princess Kate in stylish cinched blazer 

Meanwhile, whilst Princess Charlotte's Mother's Day card to her late grandmother Princess Diana revealed that she calls her dad "Papa", the Prince of Wales calls his eight-year-old daughter "mignonette".

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