Prince William has unexpected reaction

On 22 May, Prince William and Princess Kate attended the official naming ceremony of the HMS Glasgow in Scotland. During the event, a royal fan shouted, “You’re beautiful!” to Kate, quickly adding, “You too, William!” in an attempt to not leave him out. The couple shared a laugh, and William jokingly responded, “You don’t have to say that. Don’t worry!” before gently placing his hand on Kate’s arm as they moved along. Kate, who christened the ship with a whiskey bottle, gave a short speech during the ceremony.

Despite holding royal titles for over a decade, many still refer to her as “Kate Middleton.” PR expert Megan Boyle explained this is likely due to the public’s long-standing familiarity and emotional connection with her pre-marriage identity, which adds to the fairytale appeal of her relationship with William. She also noted that social media and SEO heavily influence media outlets to continue using her maiden name, as it’s still the most commonly searched term online. As Kate transitions from Duchess to Princess and eventually Queen, the public and press may still stick with the name they’ve always known.