If Queen Elizabeth II hadn’t changed a royal decree before the birth of Prince Louis, his official title could have been very different.
Prince Louis Arthur Charles is the second son and third child of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The six-year-old, whose full title is His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge, is currently fourth in line to the throne.
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In the line of succession, he trails behind his father William, 42, his older brother Prince George, 11, and his sister Princess Charlotte, nine.
However, if his late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, hadn’t worked to overturn an archaic rule, he’d be third in line - but it would’ve come at a serious price.
In the 17th century, the 1689 Bill of Rights and the 1701 Act of Settlement decreed that direct female descendants of the monarch could be passed over in the line of succession in favour of a younger male sibling.
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However, in 2013, the Queen championed The Succession to the Crown Act and removed the system of male-preference primogeniture.
She instead declared that both sons and daughters of any future ruler of the UK would have an equal right to the throne.
This is more commonly known as absolute primogeniture.
If the Queen hadn’t amended the act, Louis would have usurped Charlotte as third in line to the throne.
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Interestingly, the succession rule wasn’t the only royal decree the Queen overturned.
In 1917, former monarch King George V issued a royal proclamation, declaring that all children of the sovereign would be given royal titles.
Any grandchildren born through the male line would also be able to be bestowed the title of Prince or Princess, but great-grandchildren of the monarch would not.
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Prior to the birth of William and 42-year-old Kate Middleton’s first son, George, the Queen declared that all children of the eldest child of King Charles could bear the titles of Prince or Princess.
Therefore, George became His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge while Charlotte was titled Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
If the royal title change hadn’t been made, Louis would be known as Master Louis Cambridge, after his father’s title, or perhaps Master Louis Windsor after the House of Windsor.
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Earlier this summer, it was revealed that Louis may have to wait a couple more years before he made public appearances at sporting events.
The claim was made after George was spotted at the Men’s UEFA Euro 2024 final and Charlotte at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
“Charlotte made her first appearance at Wimbledon when she was eight, so he's got to wait a couple more years,” claimed digital royal editor of GB News, Svar Nanan-Sen.
“But Kate did say last year when George and Charlotte went to Wimbledon without Louis, that he was very upset about it.”
Topics: Prince George, Royal Family, The Queen
Ella Scott