Princess Charlotte will need to seek “express permission” from the reigning monarch if she wants her children to hold royal titles, following a longstanding family tradition.

When Prince George eventually becomes King, his children will automatically receive HRH titles, such as Prince or Princess. However, this privilege won’t extend to Princess Charlotte’s children, despite her younger brother, Prince Louis, receiving the same courtesy.

The reason for this lies in an outdated royal custom where titles are traditionally passed down through male heirs, not female ones. Etiquette expert Lucy Hume explained this to Town & Country, stating, “Royal titles are inherited through sons, so if Princess Charlotte has children, they would not automatically inherit the titles HRH, Prince, or Princess.”

However, there is an exception—Charlotte could still pass on royal titles if she received special approval from the monarch, who would either be her father, Prince William, when he becomes King, or her brother, Prince George, after that.

A similar situation occurred with Queen Elizabeth II. Her sons, Charles and Andrew, passed down royal titles to their children—William, Harry, Beatrice, and Eugenie. Meanwhile, her only daughter, Princess Anne, declined the offer of titles for her children, Peter and Zara Phillips.

Hume explained: “For Peter and Zara Phillips, the Queen offered to give them a royal title when they were born, but Princess Anne and Captain Phillips opted to decline this offer.”

Reflecting on this decision in an interview with Vanity Fair for her 70th birthday, Princess Anne stated, “It was probably the right thing to do. I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles.”