Princess Charlotte is set to take on the prestigious Princess Royal title and follow in the footsteps of hardworking Princess Anne, according to a royal expert.
The 11-year-old daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales has long been destined for a special title when her father ascends the throne. The late Queen Elizabeth II, for instance, bestowed additional honours on all of her children.
But while King Charles is said to be keen for Charlotte to take on the Duchess of Edinburgh‘s title one day, royal author Robert Hardman believes there may be another rather special title the monarch has in mind.
‘I think she’ll be the Princess Royal, as Anne is,’ Mr Hardman, author of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, told HELLO!
‘There’s no better model.’
Traditionally, the monarch’s eldest daughter is given the Princess Royal title. However, the title is not hereditary, meaning that it will not be passed down to Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall.
While Anne, 75, will hold the title for the rest of her life, once she dies, it will be returned to the Crown and would have to be officially bestowed upon Charlotte as it is not automatically inherited.
Mr Hardman added that the monarch could opt to give Charlotte the Duchess of Edinburgh title as it is unlikely to go to Prince Edward’s children.
However, he believes there is a stronger chance he may select the Princess Royal title, as it better aligns with Charlotte’s conscientious and down-to-earth nature.
Princess Charlotte marked her 11th birthday with this charming portrait, dressed simply in a striped black and red jumper and jeans with her waist-length hair loose and sky-blue nail polish
Traditionally, the monarch’s eldest daughter is given the Princess Royal title. However, the title is not hereditary, meaning that it will not be passed down to Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall
As a result of the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which saw absolute primogeniture replace male-preference primogeniture, Charlotte is third in line to the throne, after her father Prince William and brother Prince George, 12.
Anne and Charlotte are understood to share a rather close bond – with the pair believed to share a love of ballet and sport, while also serving as reliable and down-to-earth members of the Firm.
Charlotte, who attends Lambrook School in Berkshire, is said to be a keen all-rounder, excelling at cricket, swimming and tennis, and representing several school teams.
According to previous reports from The Mirror, Anne has often sought to take Charlotte under her wing and ‘fool-proof’ the young royal ‘into becoming the perfect princess and standby Queen’.
‘They couldn’t imagine a better role model than Anne, who is renowned for her work ethic and impregnable support for the king,’ the royal insider said.
‘She doesn’t put a foot wrong whilst still having her opinions not only heard, but respected. Anne was invaluable to Kate during those early uncertain years, especially as a commoner. She wants Charlotte to have the same candid tough love Anne gave her.’
Charlotte’s position as the second child of the heir to the throne is similar to that of Anne, who was the second child of Prince Philip and the then Princess Elizabeth.
However, unlike Anne, she will not drop down the order of succession until her older brother George has children. When William becomes King, George will become Duke of Cornwall and then Prince of Wales – but not Duke of Edinburgh.
At present, Sophie, wife to Prince Edward, holds the Duchess of Edinburgh title. However, there is still a likelihood that Charlotte could be given the title in future.
A royal source previously told the Daily Mail how Charlotte held a ‘historically position’ in the Royal Family.
‘She is the first female member of the Royal Family whose place in the line of succession will not be surpassed by her younger brother,’ they explained.
‘So it is constitutionally significant that Charlotte should be given such a corresponding title, because it is not beyond the realms of possibility that she will accede to the throne if, for example, Prince George does not have children.’
‘I think she’ll be the Princess Royal, as Anne is,’ Mr Hardman, author of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story,’ told HELLO! ‘There’s no better model’
It comes amid vast discussion surrounding what the future of Princess Charlotte could look like – with the young princess potentially set to attend prestigious Wellington College, with eye-watering termly fees of £15,000 to £20,000.
Charlotte currently attends Berkshire’s Lambrook School with her two siblings, but the prep school only caters for students up until the age of 13.
Speaking on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, said that Wellington College is certainly a strong contender.
‘I’ve been told Wellington is a possible school for Princess Charlotte,’ she revealed.
‘I suspect with the royals that normal rules possibly don’t apply. I feel as though they may be holding multiple places at different schools.’
Set in the heart of Berkshire, Wellington College is located a short distance from the Waleses’ family home at Forest Lodge on the Windsor Estate, with termly fees set at £15,250 for day pupils and £20,750 for boarders.
Melanie added: ‘If Charlotte is going to a co-ed, it might be that they would want her to be joined by her brother Louis. Logistically, that would work for them really, really well.’
It comes as questions mount surrounding where her brother, George, could be set to attend in September – with a well-placed source previously telling The Mail on Sunday that ‘all roads lead to Eton’, after the young prince was allocated a house.
Although William and Kate were spotted looking around a number of top schools, Eton and rival Marlborough College were clear front-runners.
In May, the Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted at a £59,000-a-year boarding school: Oundle School in Northamptonshire.
Oundle School, founded in 1556, is considered to be popular with Kate and William, as they could send all three of their children there.
The school, which charges between £22,000 for day pupils and £45,000 a year for full-time boarders, values tradition but is also renowned for its art and music, being eco-conscious and with strong pastoral care.
Oundle School is now the third-largest boarding school in England, only behind Eton and Millfield, and has about 820 boarders and 310 day pupils.
It started admitting girls in 1990 and now has a 60/40 male to female ratio.
