Prince William and Kate today announced a global prize to tackle climate issues, pledging “a decade of action to repair the Earth”. Prior to the news, some royal fans had suggested that the Duchess could be pregnant with the couple’s fourth child. However, it was back in 2008, when a different kind of speculation about the couple was around, that Kate decided to send the awkward email to her friends.

At the time, many expected that Prince William was about to propose to his long-term girlfriend and that she was preparing to join the Royal Family.

She had recently attended his RAF graduation and gone to a royal wedding in his place.

It was then that columnist Adam Helliker reported exclusively for the Sunday Express that Kate had even told her friends to stop calling her Kate and start referring to her as Catherine.

He wrote: “With Prince William’s engagement now a surefire certainty (even Ladbrokes has stopped taking bets on whether it will happen after a flurry of well-placed wagers) there are intriguing signs that Kate Middleton is preparing for her future role.

“It looks like she’s taking it very seriously indeed too.

“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 future wishes to be known by her full name: ‘Catherine’.”

The request was made via email and, according to royal expert Daniela Elser, she was “gentle” and “very jokey” despite the awkward nature of the request.

However, her friends were still a little taken aback.

One commented that Kate must have suddenly realised that, if things carried on as they were, she will be Queen one day.

They told Mr Helliker: “Everyone knows it’s about to happen with Kate and William, but we were a little surprised about the request to call her Catherine.

“There is a distinct feeling she has started to become very aware of her position.”

According to Mr Helliker, the now-Duchess of Cambridge went by Catherine at Marlborough College but it was shortened to Kate when she started at the University of St Andrews.

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Kate and William first met and started dating at university, so he likely called her Kate like everyone else.

However, it is often viewed as more “dignified” and therefore “royal” to be known by your full name as a member of the Royal Family.

This is likely why the Duchess tried to change her image.

Prince Charles’ press secretary Paddy Harverson denied the report, but royal biographer Robert Jobson claimed Mr Helliker stood by his story and his sources.

While 2008 ended with no engagement announcement, William finally popped the question in 2010.

Kate styled herself as Catherine through their wedding preparations and for the ceremony in 2011.

According to royal correspondent Rebecca English, journalists were encouraged by the Palace to call the bride Catherine.

However, the rebrand did not quite go as planned and the shortened Kate seems to have stuck.

Ms English said: “I think they thought it was more formal, more dignified, more royal.

“And to be fair, it is the name her family refers to her. Needless to say, though, they were pretty much ignored.”

Nevertheless, to this day, William refers to his wife as Catherine in public.

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