Many know William and Catherine as the Prince and Princess of Wales. But as they head to Scotland for their wedding anniversary, they will be using at least one different title that many already know – the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
This is an ancient title and one that came to the couple automatically. As soon as Prince William became heir to the throne, on September 8 2022, he also became Duke of Rothesay, the title traditionally given to the heir to the Scottish throne. He also became Duke of Cornwall, always given to the heir to the English throne. On September 9 2022, King Charles III made William the Prince of Wales.
(Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images)
Duke of Rothesay dates back to 1398 when the son of Robert III of Scotland, David Stewart, first held the title. After his death, his brother James, who later became King James I, received the dukedom. From there, the heir apparent to the Scottish Crown inherited the dukedom. In 1469, an Act of the Parliament of Scotland confirmed the succession pattern.
The 1469 Act of the Parliament of Scotland states if the first-born “Prince of the King of Scots for ever” should hold dukedom, and if they die before they are king, the heir does not inherit the title. This is because the title is only for the first-born son. If their brother becomes heir apparent, only then will they obtain the title.
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It’s not always been the best known title of the heir since the union of the crowns. During Edward VII’s time as the heir apparent, the style of the Duke of Rothesay appeared to drop out of usage in favour of the Prince of Wales title. Queen Victoria mandated the title be used to refer to her oldest son and the heir apparent when he was in Scotland. Since then, the usage has continued.
So when William and Catherine arrive in Scotland for their latest visit, co-inciding with their 14th wedding anniversary, they will be known as Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. They are heading to the isle of Mull – another of William’s titles is Lord of the Isles.
However, it is the most famous of his Scottish titles that will no doubt be used for William for this trip.
