William, Prince of Wales has received numerous titles, decorations and honorary appointments both during his time as Duke of Cambridge and Prince of Wales. Each is listed below; where two dates are shown, the former indicates the date of receiving the title or award (the title as Prince William of Wales being given as from his birth) and the latter indicates the date of its loss or renunciation.
Royal and noble titles and styles
William has been a British prince since birth, and was known as "Prince William of Wales" until 2011. On his wedding day, 29 April 2011, his grandmother Elizabeth II created him Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. The letters patent granting these titles were issued on 26 May that year.
As the eldest son of the monarch, William automatically became Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland on the accession of his father on 8 September 2022. From 8 to 9 September, William was styled as "His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge". On 9 September, Charles III announced the creation of William as Prince of Wales. William has since been known as "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales", except in Scotland where he has been styled as "His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay". The letters patent formally granting him this titles of Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester were issued on 13 February 2023. The usage of the title Prince of Wales has been subject to some controversy over the past decades, primarily from Welsh nationalists.
+Titles of The Prince William Title From Date Reason Duke of Cambridge29 April 2011Granted on the occasion of his weddingEarl of StrathearnBaron CarrickfergusDuke of Cornwall8 September 2022His father's accession (automatically)Duke of RothesayEarl of CarrickBaron of RenfrewLord of the IslesPrince and Great Steward of ScotlandPrince of Wales9 September 2022 (announced)13 February 2023 (gazetted)Granted to the heir apparentEarl of Chester13 February 2023 (gazetted)
Surname As a British prince, William does not use a surname for everyday purposes. For formal and ceremonial purposes, children of the Prince of Wales use the title "prince" or "princess" before their forename and follow it with their father's territorial designation. Thus, before becoming a duke when he married, Prince William was styled "Prince William of Wales". Such territorial designations are discarded by women when they marry and by men if they become peers in their own right, such as when Prince William was made a duke.
Although the name of the royal house is Windsor, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor belongs to all the children and male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and is used, if needed, by those who do not have the style of Royal Highness and the title Prince or Princess; when a female descendant marries, she traditionally takes her husband's surname from that point onward, and their children take their father's. Both Princes William and Harry used Wales as their surname for military purposes; this continued to be the case for William after his creation as Duke of Cambridge.
Military ranks and appointments
Ranks
8 January 2006: Officer Cadet 16 December 2006: Cornet (Second Lieutenant), The Blues and Royals (short service commission) 16 December 2006: Lieutenant, The Blues and Royals 1 January 2009: Captain, The Blues and Royals (and transferred to a full regular commission) 1 January 2016: Major 11 August 2023: Lieutenant Colonel
1 January 2008: Sub-lieutenant 1 January 2009: Lieutenant 1 January 2016: Lieutenant Commander 11 August 2023: Commander
1 January 2008: Flying Officer 1 January 2009: Flight Lieutenant 1 January 2016: Squadron Leader 11 August 2023: Wing Commander
Honorary appointments
Canada 10 November 2009: Honorary Canadian Ranger
United Kingdom 8 August 2006 – present: Commodore-in-Chief, Royal Navy Submarine Service 8 August 2006 – present: Commodore-in-Chief, Scotland 3 October 200811 August 2023: Honorary Air Commandant, RAF Coningsby 11 August 2023 – present: Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Valley 10 February 2011 – 21 December 2022: Colonel, Irish Guards 21 December 2022 – present: Colonel, Welsh Guards 11 August 2023 – present: Colonel-in-Chief, Mercian Regiment 11 August 2023 – present: Colonel-in-Chief, Army Air Corps
University degrees University of St Andrews, Master of Arts (Hons), 23 June 2005
Honours and decorations
Commonwealth realms
+Appointments Country Date Appointment Ribbon Post-nominalletters 23 April 2008 Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter KG 25 May 2012 Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle KT 17 March 2013 Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen ADC(P) 9 June 2016 Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council PC 30 October 2017 Tuvalu Order of Merit 11 May 2023 Personal Aide-de-Camp to the King ADC(P) 23 April 2024 Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath GCB
+Decorations and medals Country Date Appointment Ribbon 6 February 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 6 February 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 6 February 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal 6 May 2023 King Charles III Coronation Medal
Foreign honours
+Honours Country Date Appointment Ribbon8 July 2025Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
+Decorations Country Date Appointment Ribbon6 July 2008 Joint Service Achievement Medal
Wear of orders, decorations and medals
The ribbons worn regularly by William in undress uniform are as follows:
+Ribbons of William, Prince of Wales
Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the BathQueen Elizabeth IIGolden Jubilee MedalQueen Elizabeth IIDiamond Jubilee MedalQueen Elizabeth IIPlatinum Jubilee MedalKing Charles IIICoronation Medal
With medals, William normally wears the breast stars of the Garter, Thistle and Bath. When only one should be worn, he wears the Garter star, except in Scotland where the Thistle star is worn. Non-national titles and honours
Country Date Organisation Position 6 July 2009 – present Honourable Society of the Middle Temple Royal Bencher 23 June 2010 – present Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge Royal Fellow (FRS) 1 March 2017 – present Royal Society of Edinburgh Royal Honorary Fellow (HonFRSE) 17 January 2018 – present Royal Society of Medicine Honorary Fellow (FRSM) 2018 – present St John's College, Cambridge Honorary Fellow 25 January 2020 – 28 February 2022 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Lord High Commissioner Honourable Company of Air Pilots Liveryman
Keys to the City Foreign 3 November 2025: Rio de Janeiro
Honorific eponyms
Awards : Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Award, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario : Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Parks Canada Youth Ambassadors Program : Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Ascot Racecourse
Buildings : Duke of Cambridge Public School, Bowmanville, Ontario
Flowers Royal William rose Rosa 'William and Catherine'
Scholarships : HRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Legacy Scholarship
Arms
Banners, flags, and standards
As heir apparent The banners used by the Prince of Wales vary depending upon location. His personal standard is the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom differenced as in his arms with a label of three points Argent, and the escutcheon of the arms of the Principality of Wales in the centre. It is used outside Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, and Canada, and throughout the entire United Kingdom when the prince is acting in an official capacity associated with the United Kingdom Armed Forces.
The personal flag for use in Wales is based upon the Royal Badge of Wales (the historic arms of the Kingdom of Gwynedd), which consist of four quadrants, the first and fourth with a red lion on a gold field, and the second and third with a gold lion on a red field. Superimposed is an escutcheon Vert bearing the single-arched coronet of the Prince of Wales.
In Scotland, the personal banner used since 1974 is based upon three ancient Scottish titles: Duke of Rothesay (heir apparent to the King of Scots), High Steward of Scotland and Lord of the Isles. The flag is divided into four quadrants like the arms of the Chief of Clan Stewart of Appin; the first and fourth quadrants comprise a gold field with a blue and silver checkered band in the centre; the second and third quadrants display a black galley on a silver field. The arms are differenced from those of Appin by the addition of an inescutcheon bearing the tressured lion rampant of Scotland; defaced by a plain label of three points Azure to indicate the heir apparent.
In Cornwall, the banner is the arms of the Duke of Cornwall: "Sable 15 bezants Or", that is, a black field bearing 15 gold coins.
In Canada, a personal heraldic banner for the Prince of Wales was first issued in 2011, consisting of the shield of the Arms of Canada defaced with both a blue roundel of the Prince of Wales's feathers surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, and a white label of three points.
Former standards
Prior to the accession of his father, William used a banner derived from his arms, for use outside of Scotland and Canada. There was a variation of this used when in Scotland. In 2011, the Canadian Heraldic Authority introduced a personal heraldic flag for the Duke of Cambridge's use in Canada. It is the Royal Arms of Canada in banner form defaced with a blue roundel surrounded with a wreath of gold maple leaves and shells within which is a depiction of a "W" surmounted by a coronet. Above the roundel is a white label of three points, charged with a red shell.
See also Cadency labels of the British royal family List of titles and honours of Catherine, Princess of Wales List of titles and honours of Charles III List of titles and honours of Queen Camilla List of titles and honours of Elizabeth II List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh List of titles and honours of Anne, Princess Royal List of titles and honours of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh List of titles and honours of George VI List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother List of titles and honours of George V List of titles and honours of Mary of Teck List of titles and honours of Edward VIII List of titles and honours of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
References
Further reading A The List article describing the history of the titles of William, Prince of Wales.
External links
Debrett's biography of William, Prince of Wales, including descriptions of his titles and honours