William and Kate are named Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles

On Friday, September 9, 2016, King Charles of Britain bestowed his titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, which he and his late wife Diana had previously held, upon his eldest son William and his daughter-in-law Kate. William is the son of King Charles’s late wife Diana.

When Princess Diana her away at the age of 36 in a vehicle accident in 1997, five years after she and Prince Charles had divorced, she was the subject of a major outpouring of grief. Diana was a hugely popular person who was under continual media scrutiny from the time of her wedding onwards.

According to a source close to the royal family, Kate recognizes the significance of the history linked with the title, but she plans to forge her own path as Princess of Wales.

On Thursday, during his first speech to the nation since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles said that he was proud to make his heir William the Prince of Wales, a title that Charles had held since 1958. This was the first time that Charles had addressed the nation since his mother’s passing.

“With Catherine (Kate) by his side, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginalized to the center ground where vital assistance can be given,” he said. “Our new Prince and Princess of Wales will help bring the marginalized to the center ground where vital assistance can be given.”

In recent years, William and Kate, who are both 40 years old, have taken on central roles within the royal family. They have been making frequent public appearances and are increasingly taking their three young children to events such as the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which took place earlier this year.