Kate Middleton sent a surprise email to her close friends to inform them she planned to change her name after marrying Prince William, according to an explosive new book.
The Princess of Wales explained how she would instead prefer to be known by the more regal title of Catherine. Royal author Robert Jobson revealed details of the humorous email in his latest book, titled Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography.
Although the full content of the email remains undisclosed, Kate indicated that she felt a significant change was coming in her life. Despite the serious topic, she managed to remain "humorous" in tone in her email.
It's unclear whether she disliked being called 'Kate' or if this was part of larger preparations for her impending public role as Prince William's wife. However, Jobson suggested that she genuinely wished to be known by her full name.
This name change took place in 2008 and a couple of years later, in 2010, William proposed. Following their marriage, Kate officially became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, until Queen Elizabeth II's death, when she assumed the title of Princess of Wales.
In Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, it was revealed that King Charles asked Kate to alter the spelling of her name. Instead of Catherine, he wished her to change it to "Katherine" with a "K" instead of a "C".
The Princess of Wales took on a new title after her wedding (Image: Getty Images Europe)
