Princess Catherine’s Deep Admiration for Queen Elizabeth II and Her Special Connection with Prince Louis
Whenever Princess Catherine speaks about the late Queen Elizabeth, it’s clear how much admiration she held for the former monarch. Since it was announced that she and Prince William were engaged, and she would officially join the royal family, Catherine has always spoken highly of the Queen. It seems this admiration was mutual, as the Queen was fond of Catherine and regarded her as a thoughtful and caring figure.
Catherine revealed that Queen Elizabeth was a particularly affectionate great-grandmother, especially to Prince Louis, and made sure her love for him—and her other great-grandchildren—was evident through one key gesture. If it hadn’t been for the late Queen’s intervention, Prince Louis might have been known by a very different name today.
Prince Louis, the playful six-year-old known for his cheeky antics at royal events, carries the name *Prince Louis Arthur Charles*. However, without the Queen’s decision to alter a significant royal rule, Louis wouldn't have held the title of Prince at all.
In 1917, King George V introduced a rule limiting royal titles. According to this decree, only the children of the reigning sovereign and their male-line grandchildren were automatically given the title of Prince or Princess, along with the style of "His or Her Royal Highness" (HRH). Under this rule, great-grandchildren of the monarch—like Prince Louis—would not have received royal titles. Instead, he would likely have been known as *Master Louis Mountbatten-Windsor*, reflecting the family surname used by royals without titles.
However, in 2012, prior to the birth of Prince George, Queen Elizabeth II made a formal declaration that changed this rule. She extended the HRH titles and the Prince or Princess designations to all of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children. This decision ensured that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis would all hold royal titles, reflecting their direct connection to the future monarch.
Without this change, only Prince George, as the firstborn and direct heir, would have been granted the title of Prince, while Charlotte and Louis would have been excluded.
In a 2016 documentary marking Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, Princess Catherine shared a glimpse of what the late monarch was like in private, particularly when focusing on family life rather than her official duties. At the time, Catherine revealed that Prince Louis had not yet been born, but it’s likely that, had the Queen made thoughtful gestures for George and Charlotte, she would have done the same for all of her great-grandchildren.
Catherine explained that whenever the family stayed at Sandringham or other royal residences, the Queen would always leave a little surprise or gift in the children's rooms, demonstrating her love for her family. She also mentioned that the Queen took a special interest in Charlotte, who is often noted for resembling the late Queen as a child.
In a sweet moment, Catherine revealed that George, who was only two and a half at the time, affectionately called his great-grandmother “Gong Gan.”
When Prince William and Catherine got engaged in 2010, she shared that her first meeting with the Queen was a special occasion. The meeting took place in 2008 during Peter Phillips’ wedding to Autumn Kelly, but William wasn’t present as he was out of the country at the time. Catherine attended the wedding solo, and afterward, the Queen made sure to meet her. William later explained that the Queen was very welcoming and knew how significant the day was, making it a point to meet Catherine, who had been on her radar for a while.
Despite their royal status, Prince William and Princess Catherine are committed to giving their children as normal an upbringing as possible. This approach allows them to balance royal tradition with a grounded, relatable childhood for their children—ensuring they grow up with a sense of normalcy, love, and family.
