Prince Harry revealed a surprising request from his father King Charles in his explosive book Spare, and it was one that Princess Kate seemingly didn’t obey
Princess Kate and her father-in-law King Charles are known to have a very close bond. And much like the late Queen Elizabeth, Charles has made no secret of what an asset Kate has been to the monarchy since her marriage to Prince William.
Even while grappling with her own health struggles, she has remained dedicated to supporting the monarch – and the Royal Family itself. Royal fans have seen her step back into the spotlight in recent weeks, with appearances at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon. But as dedicated as the Princess clearly is to her role, when Charles made one particular request to his daughter-in-law several years ago, she is said to have demurred – according to Prince Harry.
The Duke of Sussex revealed the unusual request that his father made of Kate in his bestselling memoir Spare, which exposed his perspective on what life is really like inside the House of Windsor behind closed doors. Harry claimed that Charles asked Kate to change her name, but that she refused to obey the request, which was made for a pretty out-of-the-ordinary reason.
“There were already two royal cyphers with a C and a crown above: Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have another,” Harry explained about his father’s request, adding that Charles hoped Kate would alter the spelling of her name to avoid any confusion, “Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested. I wondered now what came of that suggestion.”
Harry also claimed that at the time the suggestion was posed, his elder brother William played his cards pretty close to his chest, “I turned to Willy, gave him a look that said ‘You listening to this? ‘ His face was blank.” However, Kate retained the original spelling of her full name Catherine, despite the potential for confusion over royal cyphers – not your everyday discussion with your in-laws.
Even though Kate preferred to keep the spelling of her name intact, the decision doesn’t seem to have made an impact on the closeness of the relationship she enjoys with her father-in-law. After Kate announced that she was undergoing cancer treatment, Charles didn’t hesitate to throw his support behind his “beloved daughter-in-law” and praised the “courage” she displayed in the emotional video message that revealed the health challenges she has been facing.
Queen Elizabeth similarly showed her support for Kate and her commitment to the monarchy back in 2019, when she made Kate a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) – the highest rank bestowed by the monarch. The special honour was made public on William and Kate’s eighth wedding anniversary. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained at the time – writing for Vanity Fair – that “the GCVO is a further show (and very public signal) of the Queen’s appreciation” and support for Kate.
