Royal author Christopher Andersen also addressed the alleged request in his book Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen. According to Andersen, Prince William reportedly viewed the suggestion as disrespectful to Catherine and her family, and objected to the proposed change. The idea was ultimately abandoned, leaving her publicly known as Catherine rather than “Princess Katherine with a K.”
The whole situation also says a lot about how important the royal family’s public image is. To regular people, one letter is not a big deal, but to the palace, names, initials, titles, and symbols are part of the machine. A royal cipher becomes part of a person’s official identity. Then again, asking someone to alter the spelling of their name is a pretty personal request, especially when they are already stepping into one of the most scrutinized families in the world.
Catherine had already initiated the process of adopting a more formal name, adding a humorous twist to the story. In 2008, before announcing her engagement to William, she sent a semi-serious email to her friends, requesting them to call her Catherine instead of Kate. This may have been part of her quiet preparation for a more official royal role, though nobody knows for sure whether she simply preferred the name or just wanted to be taken more seriously, knowing she was about to be brought into the royal family. Either way, Catherine clearly wanted the more polished version of her name at the time.