Prince George and Princess Charlotte Are Officially Using Their New Names

The British royal family has been dealing with a myriad of changes following Queen Elizabeth II’s death. For several members of the family, their royal titles have changed due to moving up in the line of succession. PEOPLE reported that Prince George and Princess Charlotte are two of the royals who will be going by different titles going forward, as they will now be using a new last name, Wales.

George and Charlotte’s parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, recently became the new Prince and Princess of Wales after King Charles III ascended to the throne. Those new titles reflect William’s position as the direct heir to the throne. As a result, their children will now be known as Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales. The young royals were referred to as such in the Order of Service that was released by Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, which took place on Monday. While this was clear evidence of the name change going into effect for George and Charlotte, the change also goes for their younger brother, Prince Louis, who did not attend the funeral and was thus not mentioned in the Order of Service.

PEOPLE noted that the name change for all of the young royals will go into effect for official functions and their everyday lives. When they attend school, they will be referred to as George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales. Their surname for school and official events was formerly Cambridge due to their parents’ roles as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. George, Charlotte, and Louis’ new names reflect their parents’ major new roles. When it comes to William and Middleton, a source told PEOPLE that they are focused on “deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales over time.”

“The Prince and Princess of Wales will approach their roles in the modest and humble way they’ve approached their work previously,” the insider added. Royal watchers undoubtedly know that Middleton will be stepping into Princess Diana’s shoes with her new role, as William’s late mother was once known as the Princess of Wales. Another source said about Middleton’s new position, “The new Princess of Wales appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path.”