King Charles III on Friday conferred on his eldest son William and his daughter-in-law Kate the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, which he and his late wife Diana held. Diana was a hugely popular figure under constant media scrutiny from her marriage onwards and the subject of a huge outpouring of grief when she died aged 36 in a car crash in 1997, five years after she and Charles split. A royal source said Kate appreciated the history associated with the title but would try to forge her own path as Princess of Wales. Delivering his first address to the nation since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, Charles said he was proud to make William Prince of Wales, a title Charles had held since 1958. “With Catherine (Kate) by his side, our new Prince and Princess of Wales, I know, will continue to inspire and guide our national conversations, helping to bring the marginalized to the center where vital help can be given,” he said. William and Kate, both 40, have taken on central roles in the royal family in recent years, making regular public appearances and increasingly taking their three young children to events such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Estelle Shirbon)
