Why King Charles III Signs His Name "Charles R" and What It Means

It isn't often that you see King Charles III write his signature on important documents or in public, but there have been instances where he is spotted doing so. Instead of writing his name, he signs his name as "Charles R." And people are a bit confused about why King Charles's signature is different from simply scrawling King Charles III.

His full name is King Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor, with no R at the beginning of any of those many names that King Charles lays claim to. So, where does the R come from and what does it mean? It turns out, his mom, the late Queen Elizabeth III, signed her own name as "Elizabeth R," so it's nothing new, even if some people are realizing it for the first time with King Charles on the throne.

In September 2022, Buckingham Palace released a new royal monogram. It included a C and an R mixed together with the roman numerals III at the center. According to CNN at the time, the C represents Charles and the R stands for Rex, which is "king" in Latin. After King Charles was crowned in May 2023 for his coronation, he began signing his name "Charles R."

Before King Charles, Queen Elizabeth II signed her name with the R meaning "Regina," which is "queen" in Latin. It's a tradition that goes back centuries, long before anyone outside of the royal court even saw royal signatures. According to The Mirror, King Henry I used it as a way to sign his name in the 12th century.

There have been exceptions over the years, but most monarchs have used the special signature as a way to sign their name while also making their titles known. It might be difficult to always sign "King" or "Queen" ahead of their names on important documents. Using R is almost a shorthand way to make things official.

For those who are curious about whether King Charles signs his name like that because of a middle initial, that's not the case either. But, according to the BBC, King Charles could have chosen one of his other names when he took the crown. He could have been Philip, Arthur, or George as the king if he had decided to change it when he became king.

Instead, King Charles chose not to go with a rebranding and remained Charles. Except now, of course, he is King Charles. As for King Charles's wife, Queen Camilla, she was once referred to as Queen Consort. It's a title used for a king's wife while the king is in power. The Associated Press reported that the Consort was dropped from her title when King Charles was officially crowned in May 2023.