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Why Prince William is taking over a special royal title from Prince Charles

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Looks like King Charles is giving up one of his many titles to Prince William (but don’t worry, he has plenty to spare).

The King and his eldest son Prince William are heading to Westminster Abbey on Friday (16 May ), for something dramatic-sounding called the Order of the Bath Service, a ceremony dating to medieval times relating to receiving a knighthood.

This is King Charles’s first time overseeing the Order of the Bath Service as monarch, and apparently Prince William will be taking over one of his titles.

Charles is poised to name Wills as ‘Great Master of the Order’ (why does this sound straight out of Game of Thrones, help), a title he was previously given by his own mother, Queen Elizabeth II, back in 1975.

service of remembrance at the cenotaph

Chris Jackson//Getty Images

In other words: William is taking on even more royal responsibilities as he preps to become King.

Though, to be clear, there are currently no plans for Charles to abdicate the throne early and turn things over to his son.

Outside of this new additional moniker, Prince William also has plenty of other titles that he goes by – the most well-known one being the Prince of Wales, which he inherited from Prince Charles after Queen Elizabeth II died.

Up in Scotland, William is known as the Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron of Renfrew, meanwhile over in Ireland he is known as Baron Carrickfergus.

Headshot of Mehera  Bonner

Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade. 

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

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