Who has held the title of Princess of Wales throughout history?

As the Prince of Wales title has historically been given to the eldest living son and heir to the crown, a Princess of Wales title hasn't been given on its own. For example, Queen Elizabeth II wasn't Princess of Wales. However, with the change of rules in 2013, there now can be a female heir with that title.

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

Joan of Kent, also known as the Fair Maid of Kent, was the first member of the British royal family to use the title Princess of Wales.

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

She married Edward of Woodstock, who was King Edward III's eldest son, in 1361. Edward of Woodstock, known as the Black Prince, was Joan's half-first cousin. It was her third marriage.

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

However, Edward died before he inherited the throne. Instead, their son, Richard of Bordeaux, later King Richard II, became king.

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Anne Neville (1456 - 1485) -

Anne Neville married Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the son of King Henry VI, in 1470. However, Edward soon died in 1471.

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Anne Neville (1456 - 1485) -

Anne then married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the younger brother of King Edward IV. She eventually became queen when Richard was crowned king in 1483.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

Catherine of Aragon is most famous for being the first wife of King Henry VIII. However, she was previously married to Henry's older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

This made her the Princess of Wales in 1501. However, in 1502, just a year into their marriage, Arthur died.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

She was soon betrothed to his brother, Henry, who annulled the marriage when it didn't produce any surviving sons. And we all know what happened next!

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

In 1705, Caroline married Prince George Augustus of Hanover. Nine years later, her father-in-law became King George I.

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

This made her husband the Prince of Wales, and she became the Princess of Wales. She became the first woman to get the title at the same time as her husband.

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

Caroline was also the first Princess of Wales in over two centuries. She later became queen consort, upon her husband's accession to the throne as King George II.

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Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 - 1772) -

In 1736, Caroline's daughter-in-law, Augusta, was the next Princess of Wales upon marrying her son, Frederick, Prince of Wales.

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Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 - 1772) -

She became Princess of Wales when she married the prince. But she never became queen consort, because Frederick died before his father in 1751.

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Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 - 1817) -

In 1795, Caroline married George Augustus Frederick, the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. She became Princess of Wales upon their marriage.

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Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 - 1817) -

In 1820, she became queen consort when her husband ascended the throne. But it was an unhappy marriage, and they separated after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte.

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Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925) -

In 1863, Alexandra married Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of Queen Victoria. That same year, her father became King Christian IX of Denmark and her brother King George I of Greece.

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Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925) -

Alexandra was the Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held the title. She became queen consort upon her husband's accession to the throne.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

Alexandra's daughter-in-law Mary of Teck was the next to hold the title. She married George V, who was heir to the throne when his father became King Edward VII.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

Mary was initially engaged to George's older brother, Prince Albert Victor. But when he died in 1892, she became engaged to George instead.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

In 1901, her and George became Prince and Princess of Wales. She became the second princess to get the title at the same time as her husband. She held the title until her husband's accession as King George V in 1910.

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Diana Spencer (1961 - 1997) -

The next Princess of Wales wouldn't be until decades later. Mary's son, Prince Edward, was the next Prince of Wales, but never married while he had the title. He abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, and his brother, King George VI, never had a son. The next Prince of Wales was Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son.

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Diana Spencer (1961 - 1997) -

Diana became Princess of Wales upon their marriage in 1981. And though they divorced in 1996, she was still styled Princess of Wales until she passed away.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall technically had the title Princess of Wales from her marriage to Prince Charles until his accession to the throne.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -

But due to the popular association with Princess Diana, the now-queen consort was instead styled as the Duchess of Cornwall.

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Kate Middleton -

Formerly the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate became the Princess of Wales upon her father-in-law's accession to the throne, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Kate Middleton -

She became the third Princess of Wales in history to get the title at the same time as her husband, Prince William.

Sources: (Harper's Bazaar) (Women & Home)

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The Princess of Wales title -

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

Joan of Kent, also known as the Fair Maid of Kent, was the first member of the British royal family to use the title Princess of Wales.

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

She married Edward of Woodstock, who was King Edward III's eldest son, in 1361. Edward of Woodstock, known as the Black Prince, was Joan's half-first cousin. It was her third marriage.

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Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385) -

However, Edward died before he inherited the throne. Instead, their son, Richard of Bordeaux, later King Richard II, became king.

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Anne Neville (1456 - 1485) -

Anne Neville married Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the son of King Henry VI, in 1470. However, Edward soon died in 1471.

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Anne Neville (1456 - 1485) -

Anne then married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the younger brother of King Edward IV. She eventually became queen when Richard was crowned king in 1483.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

Catherine of Aragon is most famous for being the first wife of King Henry VIII. However, she was previously married to Henry's older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

This made her the Princess of Wales in 1501. However, in 1502, just a year into their marriage, Arthur died.

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Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536) -

She was soon betrothed to his brother, Henry, who annulled the marriage when it didn't produce any surviving sons. And we all know what happened next!

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

In 1705, Caroline married Prince George Augustus of Hanover. Nine years later, her father-in-law became King George I.

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

This made her husband the Prince of Wales, and she became the Princess of Wales. She became the first woman to get the title at the same time as her husband.

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Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737) -

Caroline was also the first Princess of Wales in over two centuries. She later became queen consort, upon her husband's accession to the throne as King George II.

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Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 - 1772) -

In 1736, Caroline's daughter-in-law, Augusta, was the next Princess of Wales upon marrying her son, Frederick, Prince of Wales.

Public Domain

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Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 - 1772) -

She became Princess of Wales when she married the prince. But she never became queen consort, because Frederick died before his father in 1751.

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Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 - 1817) -

In 1795, Caroline married George Augustus Frederick, the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. She became Princess of Wales upon their marriage.

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Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 - 1817) -

In 1820, she became queen consort when her husband ascended the throne. But it was an unhappy marriage, and they separated after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte.

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Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925) -

In 1863, Alexandra married Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of Queen Victoria. That same year, her father became King Christian IX of Denmark and her brother King George I of Greece.

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Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925) -

Alexandra was the Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held the title. She became queen consort upon her husband's accession to the throne.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

Alexandra's daughter-in-law Mary of Teck was the next to hold the title. She married George V, who was heir to the throne when his father became King Edward VII.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

Mary was initially engaged to George's older brother, Prince Albert Victor. But when he died in 1892, she became engaged to George instead.

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Mary of Teck (1867 - 1953) -

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Diana Spencer (1961 - 1997) -

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Diana Spencer (1961 - 1997) -

Diana became Princess of Wales upon their marriage in 1981. And though they divorced in 1996, she was still styled Princess of Wales until she passed away.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall technically had the title Princess of Wales from her marriage to Prince Charles until his accession to the throne.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -

But due to the popular association with Princess Diana, the now-queen consort was instead styled as the Duchess of Cornwall.

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Kate Middleton -

Formerly the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate became the Princess of Wales upon her father-in-law's accession to the throne, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Kate Middleton -

She became the third Princess of Wales in history to get the title at the same time as her husband, Prince William.

Sources: (Harper's Bazaar) (Women & Home)

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Who has held the title of Princess of Wales throughout history?

From the first to the last

08/01/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY British royals

Princess of Wales, or Tywysoges Cymru in Welsh, is a royal title most of us associate with Princess Diana. However, the courtesy title has been used for centuries by many royals. Typically held by the wife of the heir apparent to the British throne, the title currently belongs to Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William.

Kate Middleton joins a long list of impressive women. So, whom were the other princesses? Click on to find out.