Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's two children have officially inherited their royal titles. The palace's website updated the names of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children to
The couple referred to their daughter as “Princess Lilibet” during her christening, ending speculation about their children's public titles. Prince Harry and Meghan's children have officially taken on royal titles.
Under the line of succession to the throne, the “Master” and “Miss” references have been replaced with “Prince Archie of Sussex” and “Princess Lilibet of Sussex” in the rundown at numbers six and seven, respectively, confirming the United States is home to the world's newest prince and princess.
Under British royal protocol, both Lilibet and Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the couple's 3-year-old son, are entitled to the titles of princess and prince as grandchildren of the sitting U.K. monarch.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Children Are Officially Going by Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Archie and Lilibet technically became a prince and princess when their grandfather became king, but it was unclear if Meghan and Harry would use the titles for their children. Video Player is loading.
That would mean that when Charles becomes King, Archie will become His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Archie, the same title that his cousins George, Charlotte, and Louis currently use. If the title “Prince” is what makes your ears perk up here, know that the “HRH” designation is almost as rarified and special.
Following the news of Lilibet's christening, Harry and Meghan's spokesperson confirmed in a statement that both their children will now indeed be known as Prince and Princess. “The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch,” they wrote.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will not be stripped of royal titles due to 'Queen's gift'
Lilibet was not a princess at birth because she was not a grandchild of the monarch. She gained the right to the title, however, when her grandfather King Charles III took the throne, according to rules set out by King George V in 1917.
At present, Harry is fifth in line to the throne and this is a birthright "privilege" that cannot be revoked without an Act of Parliament being in place.
However, when the Queen died and her son King Charles acceded to the throne, it meant Archie and Lilibet were entitled to be a prince and princess. They are also entitled to use the HRH style - although Harry and Meghan retain their HRH styles, they no longer use them after leaving the working monarchy.
Titles, styles, and succession
At the accession of Charles III, Lilibet became entitled to use the title "princess" and style "royal highness" as the child of a son of the monarch, pursuant to letters patent issued by King George V in 1917.
As Harry agreed to stop using his HRH styling when he stepped back from his royal role in 2020, neither Archie nor Lilibet will be referred to as His or Her Royal Highness. “The use of the style HRH would come through their father and the Duke of Sussex's HRH is in abeyance,” a palace source says.
HELLO! investigates… The monarch has no powers to remove titles and this would require an act of parliament. The last time this happened was in 1917 when King George V passed the Titles Deprivation Act to remove the British peerage titles of several German and Austrian royals during the First World War.
"King Charles will not strip royal titles away from Prince Harry as it would go against the gifts and wishes of the late Queen Elizabeth II," he notes.
Can Harry and Meghan legally lose their Duke and Duchess titles? Legally, the monarch has no powers to remove a family member's royal titles - it would require an act of parliament to actually happen.
Where Are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in the Line Of Succession? Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are sixth and seventh in the line of succession for the British throne. As grandchildren of King Charles, the two are closely related by blood to the sovereign. This means they are prominently placed in the order.
The meeting between Queen Elizabeth and Lilibet, who was named after her great-grandmother's childhood nickname, likely occurred in June, when Prince Harry and Meghan traveled from California to the U.K. with their children to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Royal expert Marlene Koenig once put it this way, “The sovereign has legal custody of the minor grandchildren.
The decision to remove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's HRH titles in 2020 when they stepped down as senior working royals has likely "backfired" for King Charles, fuelling their desire to want to keep speaking out about the Royal Family and firing potshots from all angles.
Harry remained a Prince, and the couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as His/Her Royal Highness (HRH).
Royal expert Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of Charles III, tells Marie Claire exclusively that nothing will change in this regard: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will retain their titles, as will Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” he says.
William and Kate's little ones – Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four – all have the last name 'Wales', taking after their dad's new title, the Prince of Wales. The royals siblings are known simply as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales at their new school, Lambrook.
The official reason is that she will be celebrating Archie's fourth birthday in California with her children, which falls on the same day. However, it's likely that she's not attending due to all the drama that's been happening between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, KCVO (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.