It’s hard to imagine the royal family other than the way we’ve known it for so long — and the idea that Prince William and Kate Middleton will take over someday in the future. But as hard as it is to conceptualize, someday Prince William will ascend to the throne and become the king of England, making Kate the official queen consort. When that happens, the newly minted Princess of Wales’ whole life will change, as if it didn’t change enough when she joined the royal family when she and William tied the knot in 2011. And now, with the Queen’s death and Charles’ elevation to king, Kate and William are one step closer to the monarchy.
Like anything else in life, there are almost certainly going to be downsides to reigning over the UK at William’s side, but there are also going to be a great number of privileges that come with becoming the queen consort — privileges Kate can’t access yet. In many ways, her life will change for the better when that momentous day comes, and she has so many exciting things to look forward to in the future.
Read on for some of the privileges Kate will have when William is king and she is queen consort. Her title will change, but so will many other things about her daily life. After seeing how seamlessly Kate has made the transition into royal life, there’s no doubt that she’ll be able to flawlessly handle this next challenge, too — whenever it should happen to come her way.
We’re rooting for Kate and her future as queen consort — we just know she’s going to absolutely kill it.
1. Title Change
According to what royal expert Marlene Koenig told Business Insider, Kate up until now has only known as the Duchess of Cambridge because the Queen decided to make William a duke. But now, in the wake of Elizabeth’s death and Charles’ ascension, she will be known as HRH Princess William of Wales. She also takes on the Duchess of Cornwall title. But that’s only for now, because one day, William will be king, and then Kate’s title will change again.
Kate Will Become Queen Consort
When William does become king, that’s when Kate will finally be able to have the privilege of being the queen consort. As per royal tradition, women are able to take on whatever title their husbands have. Being a king would make Kate queen, even though it wouldn’t work the other way around — just like Prince Philip never had the title of king. (Rather, he was known as the Duke of Edinburgh.)
2. Change of Address
Though Kate and William have lived in a couple of different places since they tied the knot, these days their home base is Adelaide Cottage in Windsor — though they do spend some time at their private residence, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk. But when it’s William’s turn to be king, Kate will get to change her address.
Kate Will Move Into Buckingham Palace
One of the perks of being the monarch? Taking up residence in London’s Buckingham Palace, which is obviously a lot fancier and more prestigious than Kensington Palace. No word on what Kate prefers, but Buckingham is steeped in so much history that it will undoubtedly be a cool experience for her to get to live there herself as queen — a privilege indeed.
3. Coming Into Some Cash
Money is definitely a consideration in the monarchy, and of course, Kate already has some. At this point, she and William are thought to have a combined $50 million net worth — although that is just an estimate. But once her husband becomes king, the money shifts, too. There will be a transfer of funds and assets that will drastically change their bank accounts.
Kate's Increasing Net Worth
Though parts of Queen Elizabeth’s fortune did come from her own personal assets (at this point, there’s no telling how those will be distributed now that she’s gone), certain streams of income will become Kate’s while she’s queen — like the Duchy of Lancaster and the income from the Royal Collection — to add to her total net worth.
4. The Material Things
Of course, there are certain possessions that belong to the royal family that can only be used by whoever’s reigning at the time. (They get transferred to whoever is next in line when they assume the throne.) For William, that means he’ll become in possession of the Crown Jewels, and that will end up being a privilege that Kate will likely enjoy very much.
Kate's Crown Jewels
When Kate is queen, the Crown Jewels will be hers to use. Of course, it doesn’t seem that Queen Elizabeth was too stingy about letting her wear whatever tiara from the collection she wanted, but when the jewels are officially in William’s hands, Kate will have free rein — and that means the rest of us will get to have a lot of fun seeing her sparkly looks at fancy events. The Crown Jewels belong to the British government, but the monarch has them at his or her disposal.
5. Making an Impact
Even in the years since she’s been married to William, Kate has made it clear what causes are most important to her. She obviously wants to make the world a better place, and that’s especially true when it comes to anything involving babies and children, a cause that she’s really dedicated herself to in recent years. But will that change when William becomes king?
6. More Power
As queen consort, Kate will have more power than ever to make a difference in the world the way she wants to — and we have no doubt in our minds she’ll use that for the greater good. Philanthropy has always been central to the royal family’s values, and it seems like this is one of those privileges that Kate will really run with when it’s her turn to do so.
7. Busier Schedule
As far as we can tell, Kate is a busy lady. Between raising her children and her many royal engagements, it’s hard to tell when she actually has any free time to herself. In the future, that limited downtime is only going to get more limited, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, we can definitely see it as a privilege because of all of the opportunities it will undoubtedly bring her.
8. A Lot More Travel
Though William and Kate have traveled a lot as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their royal tour schedule will only increase when they become king and queen consort. After all, they’ll be helming the monarchy then, not just representing it. At that point, Kate will have the privilege of being able to see even more of the world and meeting its leaders, and hopefully, even effecting real change along the way.
9. Family Perks?
Interestingly, as Showbiz Cheat Sheet pointed out, Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, are the first grandparents in the British monarchy’s history to not have titles. After all, Kate is a commoner, compared to William’s background of royalty and aristocracy. But could all of that change when Kate becomes queen consort?
New Titles for Mom & Dad
As royal expert Christopher Wilson told Express, there’s a good chance Kate will opt to give her parents royal titles when she’s the queen consort — another privilege she’ll have when her time comes. Christopher predicts that she’ll choose to give them an earldom, but we won’t know for sure until that day finally comes.
10. Summers at Balmoral
Though Queen Elizabeth lived at Buckingham Palace for most of the year, during the summers, she chose to spend her time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland — and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if William and Kate do the same when they’re the reigning couple. It could end up being a welcome respite from their daily lives, which will likely be much more stressful.
