It's been quite the week for changing names. In the past seven days, five members of the family of King Charles III have gained new titles but one was noticeably left the same. However, could Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor alter her own style now?
Lady Louise's parents became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on March 10th 2023. Prince Edward was given the title by King Charles on his 59th birthday, fulfilling a long stated wish of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It meant a change for Edward and Sophie's only son who now carries his father's secondary title as a courtesy. He is now James, Earl of Wessex.
However, Louise, despite being older than James, remains a Lady. She was styled as the daughter of an earl from the time of her birth, in 2003, and now carries the title of a daughter of a Duke, which is also 'Lady'. It's led to discussions about inequality – despite the laws of succession changing a decade ago to reflect birth order and stop men overtaking women, the rules around noble titles remain the same as they have for centuries. Louise might be the elder child of the new Duke of Edinburgh but her brother takes precedence with titles.
However, there is another title available to Louise that she has never used. Under the much talked about Letters Patent of 1917, issued by King George V, she could be known as HRH Princess Louise. Those Letters Patent, signed by a king who actually wanted to trim down the number of people in his family with royal titles, the use of HRH and Prince or Princess was limited to children of a Monarch and grandchildren of a Monarch in the male line. Again, it's hardly in chime with the equality of the 21st century as only the children of a Monarch's sons are included. But it opens up the possibility of a princess at number 15 in the line of succession.