King Charles III Officially Names William the New Prince of Wales

Prince William has a new title following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8 at age 96: the 40-year-old royal is now officially the Prince of Wales, a title typically held by the heir apparent. William is also now the Duke of Cornwall, often bestowed upon the eldest son of the reigning monarch, who is now King Charles III. In Scotland, William bears the title of Duke of Rothesay.

William automatically became the Duke of Cornwall following the queen's death, but the Prince of Wales title had to be granted to him by King Charles, who did so in his first speech as king on Sept. 9. "Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty," King Charles said. "With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given."

William is now second in line for the throne, followed by his 9-year-old son, Prince George. As evidenced by his social media accounts, William will still retain the Duke of Cambridge designation granted to him at his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton.

The queen's death comes a little over a year after her husband, Prince Philip, died. Plans have not yet been announced for the late monarch's funeral procession or the new king's coronation. For some time, there was speculation about whether Charles would pick the regnal name King George VII as a nod to his grandfather, but it's now clear that he chose to keep his name. His wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, now has the title of queen consort.

It's unlikely that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will see changes to their titles since stepping down as senior members of the royal family in 2020. As it stands, Harry is currently fifth in line for the throne.