PRINCESS Kate told her close friends she would be going by a new name before she got engaged to Prince William, claims a royal expert.
The future queen is said to have wanted to ditch the informal “Kate” for a more regal moniker and sent a “humorous email” to her pals informing them of the change.
In a new biography about the royal mum-of-three Robert Jobson claimed that the name change occurred in 2008 as speculation about the couple’s engagement reached a fever pitch.
She allegedly told her inner circle that she would be known going forwards by “Catherine”, rather than “Kate.”
He wrote: “It was unclear if she did not like being called ‘Kate’ or whether it was part of a bigger preparation for her formal public role as Prince William’s future wife, but it appears that she had a genuine desire to go by her full name.”
The name change “only added to the speculation” that Prince William was about to pop the question, claims Robert.
William eventually proposed to his wife in 2010 and they tied the knot in April 2011 in a fairytale wedding watched by millions around the globe.
Following the nuptials, Kate became formally known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
She used this title until September 2022, when she was given the new title of the Princess of Wales, following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Previously Princess Diana had held this title.
Prince Harry opened up about Kate’s name in his bombshell Spare memoir, and claims King Charles had asked her to change the spelling of her name.
He claimed the monarch wanted Catherine to be changed to Katherine so it didn’t clash with Charles or Camilla.
He explained: “This was because there were already two Royal cyphers with the letter C in them – and they didn’t want another.
“There were already two royal cyphers with a C and a crown above: Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have another.
“Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested.
“I wondered now what came of that suggestion.”
Prince Harry recalled looking to see what Prince William’s reaction was to the name change.
He added: “I turned to Willy, gave him a look that said ‘You listening to this?’ His face was blank.”
Kate ended up using her preferred spelling of the name for her official title, although many refer to her as Princess Kate informally.
Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship - in their words
AFTER years of dating, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement on November 16, 2010.
Prince William revealed in their interview with BBC that he knew from the start that Kate was different from other people.
He said in their engagement interview: “From my point of view, when I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her.”
When asked what drew them together, it turns out her “naughty sense of humour” was the tipping point.
He said: “She’s got a really naughty sense of humour, which really helps me because I’ve got a really dirty sense of humour so it was good fun, we had a really good laugh, and then things happened.”
And it appears that Prince William is a very caring partner towards Kate. Swoon.
She previously told Hello! how much of a gentleman William is, and said: “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well — as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times.”
In April 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched around the world by millions of fans.
Kate wore a spectacular Alexander McQueen dress and the smitten prince could be seen telling Kate: “You look beautiful” before the service began.
They may have an unconventional life, but when it comes to their relationship, it all boils down to having fun.
Prince William added: “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we’re down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”