Kate Middleton's Secret Palace Name Exposed by Former Royal Butler
A former royal butler is lifting the curtain on life inside the palace, revealing the private name used for Kate Middleton behind closed doors.
In an interview shared by Express and given to Smooth Spins Casino, Grant Harrold, who served as a royal butler for seven years, revealed how the Princess of Wales preferred to be addressed when out of the public eye. He claimed she wanted any interactions with her to be more causal than formal.
"She was always known as Kate. Prince William always called her Kate. This Catherine thing only began after the wedding," Harrold explained.
"I think after their Coronation, she will be Queen Catherine. But until then, it was always Kate behind the scenes," he continued.
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Harrold said that he used a less formal name for the royal family member. "I used to call her Kate. I was one of the few who were allowed to use first names rather than titles."
"When I first met her, she introduced herself to me as Kate - and asked me to call her that."
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Harrold concluded, "When speaking directly to members of the royal family, we used their official titles unless told otherwise. However, it was only William, Prince Harry, and Kate who wanted the less formal name option."
In her official engagement interview alongside William, she was addressed as Kate by interviewer Tom Bradby of ITV News. She was called Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in a March 2024 interview where she revealed she had cancer.
In 2024, royal author Robert Jobson wrote in his book Catherine, the Princess of Wales, that the royal family member understood the lingering confusion over how she should be addressed. Although her legal name is Catherine, she has been called Kate by the press since joining the royal family in 2011.
In his book, per PEOPLE Magazine, Jobson wrote that in a 2008 article printed by Sunday Express columnist Adam Helliker, the senior royal took it upon herself to address the lingering issue in a lighthearted manner.
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Helliker wrote, "I hear that in the past few weeks, the former accessories buyer has quietly informed friends that she would like to drop the informal ‘Kate' and in the future wishes to be known by her full name: Catherine."
The royal family refers to Kate Middleton as Catherine on all royal correspondence. However, she continues to go by the shortened moniker outside of palace formalities.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 7:42 AM.