That’s how it is!
Prince William and Princess Kate are known by many names. From their ducal days to the princely Welsh titles, and the endless nicknames they acquired through the press (or themselves). But even when they visit Spain, they seem to have a different set of names.
Royal name
We all know that royals don’t just choose their names. First names often recur over the centuries as a tribute to distant relatives. If the very young Prince George ascends the throne under his own name, he will, for example, already be the seventh monarch with the name George. Prince William will in turn be the fifth Wills on the throne and Charles will of course wear the regnal number III.
And we haven’t even talked about the titles and forms of address yet! For example, William and Kate were known for years as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, while Charles carried the princely Welsh title. Wills and Kate themselves are of course now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales – although in Scotland they carry a different title, as Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
And that should be the end of it, right? Think again!
Spanish custom
When the British royals visit Spain, it is customary for their oh-so-English names to have a Spanish edge. For example, the Spanish do not speak of Prince William, but of Prince Guillermo, and Kate (full name Catherine, of course) is better known as Catalina.
The website of the Spanish Casa Real also features a photo of the royal couple next to Queen Elizabeth at the king’s accession to the Order of the Garter, the name ‘Isabel II’.
Foto posterior a la ceremonia de investidura de Don Felipe como Caballero de la Muy Noble Orden de la Jarretera, la máxima distinción que concede la monarquía británica. https://t.co/dLPxvN9ipK pic.twitter.com/rH8MWHe0Ur
— Casa de SM el Rey (@CasaReal) June 17, 2019
Of course, other royals cannot escape this Spanish treatment. Prince Harry (or Henry, if you prefer) becomes Prince Enrique, Prince George becomes Jorge, Princess Charlotte is Carlota and young Louis is called Luis.
Therefore, in May 2023, Spain’s Felipe and Letizia did not fly out for the Coronation of King Charles III, but for the Coronación of Carlos III.
Los Reyes se han dirigido a la Abadía de Westminster de Londres para asistir a la Coronación del Rey Carlos III del Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda del Norte.
➡️https://t.co/QWRAGYRjQo pic.twitter.com/1dY1LJZxbK
— Casa de SM el Rey (@CasaReal) May 6, 2023
It is remarkable that not all royals are equally consistently given these Spanified names. For example, our own Willem-Alexander is ‘simply’ referred to as King Willem-Alexander in a tweet from 2014, while the name Guillermo-Alejandro could also have been chosen here.
How and why
You may think that this is a mutual custom between the British and Spanish royals, but that is not true. For example, Felipe is not suddenly known as King Philip when he visits the United Kingdom.
Why then does this happen? It is simply a tradition within the Spanish language. For example, the Real Academia Española has an extensive article on whether or not to translate proper names. In short: it is advised not to translate just all names, but royals are an exception to this – just like religious leaders, saints, or special nicknames of historical figures.
The Academia does note that ‘the transfer is gaining ground’ in the field of royal names. Who knows: maybe soon it will be William and Catherine who visit, and not Guillermo and Catalina!
Source: Hello! Magazine, RAE.es, CasaReal.es | Image: NL Image
