What's the difference between a duchess and a princess? Are there duties involved in being a
duchess? What are the pros and cons? Here's all you need to know about this royal title.
By definition, a duchess is a woman who holds the rank equivalent to a duke, the title just
below the monarch's in most hierarchies. There is one European country, Luxembourg,
where a duke or duchess serves as the country's ruler. Other countries with duchesses include the
U.K., Sweden, and Belgium. Dukes and duchesses oversee a particular territory called a duchy.
There aren't many ways to become a duchess. The first is to be born into a royal family,
but even then it isn't guaranteed. It would be up to the king or queen
to bestow the title upon you, perhaps on your wedding day, if one is vacant.
If you weren't lucky enough to be born into royalty, then the only way to become
a duchess is to marry a duke or someone who will soon be one. So if you have dreams of
becoming an elegant royal that lives in a stately castle in a far-off European land,
just know that the transition is neither commonplace nor easy.
Determining the difference between a princess and a duchess can be a bit tricky. But the
main difference is that "duchess" is an official title of peerage, while "princess"
is a more ceremonial title having to do with one's place in succession to the throne. Princesses may
become duchesses, depending on whom they marry and open titles within the family. To be a princess,
one would need to be the daughter or granddaughter of the monarch,
or spouse of the heir to the throne, the Sun explains. By being the wife of the heir,
Prince William, Kate Middleton is Princess of Wales, for example. She's also the
Duchess of Cambridge. William and Kate's, daughter, Charlotte, is also a princess.
But there's a little wiggle room there. Wives technically take their spouse's
title after the wedding. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, isn't married to the heir,
but by being married to Prince Harry, she could be referred to as "Princess Henry of Wales," Reader's
Digest explains. So how you style a woman's title can change the way to which she is referred.
"My dear duchess. You know how much I want you to take your rightful place as regent."
Royal life comes with strict guidelines to preserve
tradition and protect the reputation of the royal family. Its members are expected
to act in accordance with proper royal protocol throughout their daily lives.
Royals, including duchesses, should not engage in excessive public displays of affection,
for example, because it does not appear professional. Working royals are also
not allowed to hold a political office or vote, and are discouraged from expressing
any personal political views. Another no-no is signing autographs or taking selfies with fans,
and royals must travel with all-black outfits to be prepared for any sudden deaths within
the family. Finally, the monarch must approve of wedding engagements before the proposal,
as well as the wedding dress prior to the wedding, Marie Claire explains.
Duchesses who are active within the British royal family have a range of royal duties
that include philanthropic work, advocacy work, touring duties, public appearances,
and supporting the royal family organization. While working within the bounds of the royal firm,
duchesses are not technically permitted to have an outside, commercial job.
However, as Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex,
have demonstrated, once you are no longer part of the royal machine, you are free
to work in whatever capacity you choose. For example, after Fergie divorced Prince Andrew,
she went on to work in television and film, be a Weight Watchers ambassador,
and has even become a children's book and historical romance author. Markle also has
several ongoing projects: the Archewell organization, her podcast "Archetypes,"
and a variety of Netflix and Spotify projects with her husband, Prince Harry.
The U.K. government explains that many of the duchesses within the British Royal Family live
on a property owned by the Crown Estate, which is a collection of properties that
belong to the royal family. Specifically, Kensington Palace in London is the go-to
spot for living the duchess life. Historic Royal Palaces notes that current residents
at Kensington Palace as of the making of this video include the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester;
and the Duke and Duchess of Kent. According to Insider, Prince William and Princess Catherine's
so-called "apartment" in the palace, which they moved out of in 2022, has a whopping 20 rooms.
"Will and Kate will keep their 20-room home at Kensington Palace as their official residence."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, previously lived at Kensington
Palace, but in January 2020 broke from tradition and stepped down as senior members of the royal
family. Meghan and Harry now live in a $14.65 million home in upscale Montecito, California.
Being a duchess has some legit perks, if you're into public recognition and
the finer things of life. Part of the royal treatment includes officially being addressed
as "Your Grace" or "Royal Highness" if you are part of the monarch's immediate family,
The English Manner explains. Another advantage of being a duchess is having access to an incredible
array of royal fashion and jewelry, either by borrowing or inheriting it.
Another perk afforded to royals is the opportunity to attend the best and most prestigious schools.
And during their time off, duchesses can relax in the British royal family's great assortment of
vacation homes. Luxury international vacations are also on the agenda. According to E! News,
William and Catherine have taken lavish vacations in the Caribbean,
including a stay in a Mustique villa that cost $30,000 per week.
Duchesses are expected to present themselves in a way that is ladylike and honors their family
and country. Cosmopolitan notes that for the British royal family, modest hemlines,
professional clothing, and natural hair and makeup are all general guidelines that
duchesses should adhere to when appearing in public. Two contemporary examples of
duchesses who are well-known for sporting iconic royal fashion are Kate Middleton,
the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
Aside from her impeccable hair, Kate is best known for her classic, chic, and buttoned-up sartorial
taste. You will see her in more traditional silhouettes mixed with reserved patterns or
colors. Meghan, the former "Suits" star, has a more laid-back elegance, which mixes contemporary
silhouettes with a neutral color palette. In true American fashion, she is also a big fan of more
casual staples like jeans and sneakers. However, laid back doesn't mean without influence. In fact,
in 2019, the fashion search engine Lyst ranked Meghan as the most powerful dresser in the world.
From constant pestering from the press and paparazzi to a plethora of mandatory public
engagements, once you remove the rose-tinted glasses, being a royal isn't always a dream
life. As Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey in the groundbreaking interview from March 2021,
there was an abundance of rules and regulations she had to follow. Markle said
she was discriminated against and silenced, to the point of having suicidal thoughts.
"I just didn't want to be alive anymore."
Another example is Princess Diana, who did not have an easy go at being
a duchess, or a princess. She experienced loneliness, heavy scrutiny from the press,
infidelity from her husband, and an eating disorder. For Andrew Morton's 1992 biography,
titled "Diana: Her True Story," Diana sent the author personal recordings, saying,
"Camilla" is Camilla Parker-Bowles, the woman with whom Diana's husband,
then-Prince Charles, was having an affair and would eventually marry. Clearly,
royal life can take a severe toll on one's physical and mental health.
According to PopSugar, duchesses who are working royals in the British royal family
do not receive a salary. So who is bankrolling their lavish lifestyle? Besides the personal
wealth of the royal family, some money comes from the people's taxpayer dollars,
as well as the income of specific duchies.
Prior to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down as senior royals,
the vast majority of the couple's income came from Harry's father,
now King Charles III, through his Duchy of Cornwall, the BBC reports. In 2018 and 2019,
the Duchy of Cornwall supplied more than £5 million in funds that covered professional
and private expenses for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Kate Middleton.
If a duchess gets divorced from her duke husband or he passes away, her duchess title and her
children's titles remain intact. The duchess title technically lasts a lifetime. That is,
unless the duchess decides to remarry, at which point she would lose it.
What the duchess could be at risk of losing in the event of a divorce, though,
is a "Her Royal Highness" title if she has one. In 1996, for example, when Princess Diana divorced
Prince Charles, she had her "Royal Highness" title taken away. Her son Prince William famously said,
Unfortunately, she didn't live to see that day.
Can you imagine waking up and going into the bathroom to find someone
has already squeezed toothpaste onto your toothbrush? What about going to
tie your shoes and noticing that your shoelaces are perfectly ironed? These
are a couple examples of how the royals do not, in fact, live like the rest of us.
"Well, I guess just the seven of us."
There are plenty of other strange traditions for the British royal family. Warm biscuits
are kept at the ready for King Charles III. The late Queen Elizabeth II would
have someone break in her new shoes, and she used bagpipes as her personal alarm clock. A
few more strange traditions that affect the family's duchesses include members
of the royal family getting weighed before and after Christmas dinner and the game of
Monopoly being banned within the family — a silly rule and potentially an inside
joke. Being a member of the British royal family sounds like a privileged — yet strange — life.