Diana's Styles and Titles

[Countessmeout]

Sorry to disagree, but Kate is not the next POW, in the sense as Diana's successor. We have a current POW, and her name is Camilla. Camilla is HRH Princess Charles, The Princess of Wales....... Just because she chooses to use Duchess of Cornwall doesn't change that. The wife of the Prince of Wales is the Princess of Wales.

Diana has the same legacy as every king's mother before her. And with time and generations, she will be a blip in the history books. Even less then someone like Queen Alexandra who not only mothered a king, but married one. Alexandra in her day was known Alexandra in her time was extremely popular, devoted to medical causes, but besides hospitals in her name, most people know her simply as queen/queen mother. As decades pass Diana will be the same. Its already slowly starting, with younger generations not knowing her well if at all. When Kate becomes queen consort, there will be many people who will not know her ring as anyone but hers.

[Curryong]

Alexandra was also the daughter and sister of Kings.

Yes, and Camilla will be just a blip in history as well, I expect. It also doesn't negate the fact that Diana was Prss of Wales until the day of her death or that it will be Diana and Charles's descendants who will rule after Charles. The reason Camilla doesn't use the title of Princess of Wales, was at least partly because BP and Clarence House feared a public backlash at the time of their wedding.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Countessmeout

[...] Diana went from HRH The Princess of Wales (not allowed to use Diana as she was not a princess in her own right), to Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. [...]

She did not become Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Her style was Diana, Princess of Wales. All in line with the Letters Patent of 21 August 1996.

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

She did not become Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Her style was Diana, Princess of Wales. All in line with the Letters Patent of 21 August 1996.

Unless I'm missing something, and I did read it carefully, all the Letters Patent did was deprive her of the right to use the style title or attribute of Royal Highness. She was born entitled to use the courtesy title of Lady and although it was subsumed under the higher styles and titles of HRH and Princess of Wales while she was married to Charles, I am not aware of any reason she would not be able to call herself Lady Diana once again since she had never lost that right. After the divorce "Princess of Wales" was only essentially a surname.

[Denville]

yes she could have called herself Lady Diana, Lady Diana Pss of Wales would not be the correct way to do it. Diana Princess Of Wales was the name she was using as the divorced wife of the POW. If she remarried, to a man with no title, she would revert to her "lady" title and call herself Lady Diana Smith. Or she could have chosen as a divorcee to revert ot her maiden name if she wanted, and call herself lady Diana Spencer or Mountbatten Windsor.. but it was unlikely that she'd do that as Princess has more "cachet" than Lady.
But had she married an Earl, she would not call herself Lady Diana Countess of X.. just "Countess of X".

[Countessmeout]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

She did not become Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Her style was Diana, Princess of Wales. All in line with the Letters Patent of 21 August 1996.

The letters patent only dealt with royal titles, as they addressed all future ex wives. It stated that they would lose the HRH and other courtesies due to a wife of a royal prince. This had nothing to do with any personal titles. Diana was from the moment her father became an Earl, Lady Diana. And in no way did the queen's letter change this. She was still entitled to be addressed as the daughter of Earl Spencer. As with her sisters, her marriage did not eliminate her right to her courtesy title.

[Denville]

Yes she could still call herself Lady Diana, but she woudl not call herself "Lady Diana Princess of wales." one or the other but not both. And it was most likely that she would use the Princess title until she remarried and had to give it up

Originally Posted by Curryong

Alexandra was also the daughter and sister of Kings.

Yes, and Camilla will be just a blip in history as well, I expect. It also doesn't negate the fact that Diana was Prss of Wales until the day of her death or that it will be Diana and Charles's descendants who will rule after Charles. The reason Camilla doesn't use the title of Princess of Wales, was at least partly because BP and Clarence House feared a public backlash at the time of their wedding.

I woudl say that Diana will be remembered for her charity work, her charm and beauty, her fashion sense etc.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Denville

I woudl say that Diana will be remembered for her charity work, her charm and beauty, her fashion sense etc.

Yes, she will but more so for being the ex-wife of The Prince of Wales and the scandalous, global soap opera called "The War of the Wales". Similar to along the lines that one thing that stands out about the reign of King George IV was that he banned his wife, Caroline, from his coronation ceremony.

BTW: Caroline of Brunswick was another Princess of Wales that had kind of a soap opera going on about her too.

[duke of poliganc]

Originally Posted by Countessmeout

Diana has the same legacy as every king's mother before her. And with time and generations, she will be a blip in the history books. Even less then someone like Queen Alexandra who not only mothered a king, but married one. Alexandra in her day was known Alexandra in her time was extremely popular, devoted to medical causes, but besides hospitals in her name, most people know her simply as queen/queen mother. As decades pass Diana will be the same. Its already slowly starting, with younger generations not knowing her well if at all. When Kate becomes queen consort, there will be many people who will not know her ring as anyone but hers.

i think Lady Margaret Beaufort , Countess of Richmond and Derby the mother of king Henry VII legacy is still present and she never even held the title of princess lit alone queen so diana's legacy well never be less than any queen mother

[Denville]

You can't POSSIBLY compare a terrible crazed vulgar nitwit like Caro of Brunswick to Diana. Diana had her faults but as time passes while people will remember the divorce and the failed marriage, I think that her great achievemetns in making the RF a star family for a while, and her AIDS work etc will be remembered more.

[Kitty1224]

I know its incorrect but Princess Diana just sticks honestly.

[royal_enthusiast]

If Diana had lived to see her son succeed as King William V would Diana be in a powerful position within the Royal Family? I know she wouldn't have the title of Queen Mother but do you think she would have some sort of role like that.

[Countessmeout]

Originally Posted by royal_enthusiast

If Diana had lived to see her son succeed as King William V would Diana be in a powerful position within the Royal Family? I know she wouldn't have the title of Queen Mother but do you think she would have some sort of role like that.

Highly doubtful. At the point William becomes king, Diana would have been a private citizen for likely close to 40 years (would be 22 years this year). While Diana would likely have continued with her charity work, it would have been as a private citizen. If she had remarried eventually, that would lessen even more.

There will not be a queen mother, but there will be a dowager queen. Diana would not have had a place like Camilla will have. Though Camilla is not William's mother, she will be the widow of the king.

Diana would have been like Princess Muna of Jordan. Her son is king, but she hasn't been raised to any new level by her son being king. She is not the king's widow.

[royal_enthusiast]

If Diana and Camilla were both alive when William became King, would Camilla as Queen Dowager have higher precedence than Diana as Mother of the King? I didn't know whether William could give Diana have higher precedence than Camilla and if he has the power to do so.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by royal_enthusiast

If Diana and Camilla were both alive when William became King, would Camilla as Queen Dowager have higher precedence than Diana as Mother of the King? I didn't know whether William could give Diana have higher precedence than Camilla and if he has the power to do so.

Camilla would have been Queen Consort, whereas Diana would only be the ex-wife of the Prince of Wales and mother of the King. Camilla would take precedence.

I believe William, as King, could set precedence for private family events, but not for official events

[Rudolph]

Precedence not regulated by law is a matter for the Sovereign. Under the scenario given, William would most certainly grant his mother precedence over Camilla.

[royal_enthusiast]

I don't know if Camilla would have been involved in many family events when William became King, it depends on how close they are and I don't know if you still keep relations with your Step-Mother once your Father has died. Diana may not have wanted Camilla around for royal and family events and William may not want to go against his mother's wishes.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by royal_enthusiast

If Diana had lived to see her son succeed as King William V would Diana be in a powerful position within the Royal Family? I know she wouldn't have the title of Queen Mother but do you think she would have some sort of role like that.

It would depend on how badly Diana's image would have been hurt if she had lived a long life. In general terms, I would say though that, unless she had remarried someone else, William V would have probably restored her HRH style and dignity as he has always struck me as being heavily influenced by his mother.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

Camilla would have been Queen Consort, whereas Diana would only be the ex-wife of the Prince of Wales and mother of the King. Camilla would take precedence.

I believe William, as King, could set precedence for private family events, but not for official events

Charles probably would never have married Camilla if Diana had been alive.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Charles probably would never have married Camilla if Diana had been alive.

He might have, especially if Diana married again.