Kate Middleton and Prince William Received New Royal Titles—and They Might Be Their Most Meaningful Ones Yet

It's been a year of change for Prince William and Kate Middleton. Their royal roles have evolved and expanded since King Charles passed on the Wales title to his son and daughter-in-law following Queen Elizabeth's death—and that list of responsibilities and accolades is only growing. On Friday, Buckingham Palace and King Charles announced several new military appointments and titles for nine working royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, People reports.

As of today, Princess Catherine is officially the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Coningsby. This last title is particularly meaningful for the royal, whose grandfather, Captain Peter Middleton, served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) decades ago.

The appointment also ties together Princess Catherine and Prince William's legacies: According to Hello!, Peter and Prince William's grandfather, Prince Philip, worked together during the late royal's aerial tour of South America in 1962. Old photos confirm this: An image shows Prince Philip exiting a plane at Heathrow Airport—with Peter (in his pilot uniform!) standing just near the steps.

As for Prince William's title upgrade? Like his wife, the future king also received three new appointments, making him Colonel-in-Chief, The Mercian Regiment, Colonel-in-Chief, The Army Air Corps, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Valley. The last one is also special for William: It's where he held a three-year posting as an RAF search and rescue pilot, reports the BBC.