Even though Prince Louis is the youngest son of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, he almost ended up with a completely different title.
Royal titles follow a long list of traditional rules, some of which can seem quite unusual. According to reports, Louis wasn’t originally guaranteed the title of Prince, despite being born into the royal family.
This comes from a rule introduced during the reign of George V, which limited HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) titles to those closest in line to the throne. Specifically, it applied to the monarch’s children and grandchildren through the male line.
Since Louis was born while Elizabeth II was still on the throne, he didn’t automatically qualify under those rules. The same applied to his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
To address this, the late Queen made a special change to the rules, ensuring all of William and Catherine’s children would be granted royal titles. Without that decision, Louis might have been known simply as Master Louis Cambridge or Master Louis Windsor instead.
A similar situation arose for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor was born. In their interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan shared concerns that Archie might not receive a royal title, and therefore might miss out on certain protections.
She explained that discussions during her pregnancy suggested Archie would not be made a prince, which raised worries about his security. Her concern was that if titles determined protection, then her child’s safety could be affected.
Later, when Charles III became king, Archie and his sister Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor became entitled to royal titles as grandchildren of the monarch. Before that, they were known as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
A statement from the Sussexes confirmed that the children’s titles were their birthright once their grandfather became monarch, and that the matter had already been settled in agreement with Buckingham Palace.