Couple named Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

LONDON // Prince William and Catherine Middleton got their first royal wedding present from the queen yesterday: the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Buckingham Palace said that William was now His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and that Catherine Middleton was now Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.

There is more: the palace said William was also named the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. Catherine took those titles when she said "I will", becoming Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus.

Strathearn ties the couple to Scotland, where they met and fell in love. Baron Carrickfergus is a little-used title that refers to one of the oldest towns in Northern Ireland.

All three titles were bestowed by William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to mark his marriage and were announced yesterday via Twitter, by e-mail and on the royal wedding's official website.

Because the duchess was not born royalty, officially she will not become Princess Catherine - although the public may choose to call her that, or even "Princess Kate", in defiance of protocol.

Royal watchers called the bestowal of the title Duke of Cambridge a personal mark of esteem from the queen. It refers to the history-steeped university town that is a symbol of British prestige. The dukedom's history stretches back to medieval times and has been associated with royalty for 300 years.

Jennie Bond, one of the UK's foremost experts on the monarchy, said some had already guessed what William's new title would be.

"The queen went to visit Cambridge the day before yesterday so a lot of people thought that was how it was going to be," she said.

Barons, viscounts, earls, marquesses and dukes are orders of British nobility, in ascending order of prestige. The titles can be created and become extinct, for example when a duke or earl ascends to the throne or when he dies without leaving legitimate heirs.

* Associated Press