At least, in this case, The Duchess of Cambridge was called Kate Middleton at some point in her life. Diana never was (and never would have been) Princess Diana.So I had to look it up to make sure that Kate Middleton is The Duchess of Cambridge.
Princess Diana was always called "Princess Diana" in the press. You never really saw her called "The Princess of Wales", or even "Diana, Princess of Wales", at least in the United States.
Although I guess calling her "Duchess Catherine" would be the equivalent of "Princess Diana".
Why wasn't Diana the princess? I didn't know that.. I'd actually heard that Camilla is now technically the princess but doesn't use the title in deference to the people's love of Diana.
I just find the persistence in calling her Kate Middleton so bizarre. Even w/o her title, that's no longer her last name. I don't know of any other married woman who chose to change her name and had people persist in calling her by her maiden name.
Diana wasn't A princess (as in being royal herself). She was "The Princess of Wales" since she married the Prince of Wales (a position she was put in by marriage).
Sarah Ferguson was usually called Sarah Ferguson instead of the Dutchess of York. They really don't have a last name. William goes by William Wales in the military.
Why wasn't Diana the princess? I didn't know that.. I'd actually heard that Camilla is now technically the princess but doesn't use the title in deference to the people's love of Diana.
I think that she is called Duchess in the British media much more often (or just Will and Kate, and I've seen just Kate before). The American media probably uses her maiden name to make the headline more recognizable because most Americans have a casual knowledge of the Royals and knew her by that name first. I rarely ever see her full formal name/title used especially in America.
It's like how they still call some celebs by their maiden name, so they'll be recognized. Or some celebs still work under their maiden name.