King Charles and Queen Camilla Reportedly Asked Kate Middleton to Change the Spelling of Her Name
Apparently having three "C" names in the family felt like "overkill."
www.instyle.comHere’s what’s been reported recently:
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A royal biography claims that King Charles and Queen Camilla asked Kate Middleton to alter the spelling of her name (from Catherine to Katherine) before their 2011 wedding, to avoid two existing royal cyphers with a C. The claim ties into debates about royal monograms and has been echoed in several outlets.[1][3][5]
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Kate and her family are said to have found the suggestion insulting, and William reportedly objected to the idea; the narrative suggests Catherine remains the formal name used publicly, though Kate is the widely used nickname.[3][1]
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Responses vary: some outlets summarize the claim as a behind-the-scenes anecdote from Harry’s memoirs and royal biographies, while palace spokespeople have repeatedly emphasized Catherine as the Princess of Wales’s preferred name.[5][1]
Illustration: A timeline of the key points is below to help you track the sequence of claims and responses:
- 2011: Kate Middleton marries William; reports allege a request to spell her name with a K.
- 2023–2024: Prince Harry’s memoir Spare is cited as earlier reference to similar claims.
- 2025–2026: New biographies revive the story with varying details; some outlets maintain Catherine as the official name, while noting Kate’s preferred usage is Catherine.
If you’d like, I can pull the latest updates from specific outlets or summarize how different outlets frame this claim. I can also provide a brief explainer on royal naming conventions and monograms.
Citations:
- Reports on the spelling request and related anecdotes appear in multiple outlets, including outlets summarizing Christopher Andersen’s biography and related royal timelines.[3][5]
- Coverage also references Prince Harry’s Spare as part of the broader narrative about Kate’s name and royal branding.[1]