With their grandfather becoming monarch,Meghan MarkleandPrince Harry’s two children have royal titles.
Upon the death ofQueen Elizabethon Friday, Harry’s father becameKing Charles III— and as grandchildren of the monarch, 3-year-oldArchie Harrisonand 1-year-oldLilibet Dianahave inherited the titles of prince and princess.
The children did not receive the titles when they were born because they were great-grandchildren of the monarch. However, their cousins —Prince WilliamandKate Middleton’s three childrenPrince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louis— did get the titles as the children of the eldest son of the (now former) Prince of Wales.
Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Meghan Markle.Getty
As monarch, King Charles III can change that rule, but it’s unlikely he’ll choose to do so.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Prince Charles.Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
A source previously told PEOPLE: “Archie will almost certainly become a prince one day. Charles isn’t going to disavow his grandson, so it’s hugely unlikely that he’ll change the rules to stop it happening. The Charles also isn’t going to say that Archie can’t use the title any time soon.”
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The other question is ifPrince Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41, will want their children to have these titles.
“As the grandchildren of the Sovereign, they have the right to be upgraded to the style of His or Her Royal Highness. But that begs a question of whether Harry and Meghan want that,” Joe Little, managing editor ofMajestymagazine, previously told PEOPLE.
Little continued: “Do they prefer what[Prince] Edwardand Sophie have, and not have their children as Their Royal Highnesses with a view to them leading relatively normal lives?”
Samir Hussein/WireImage
For more on the Royal Family’s official titles, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
Princess Anne also refused titles for her two children, Peter and Zara. “Zara always says she’s so pleased she wasn’t given a title,” Phil Tindall, the father of her husband, Mike Tindall, previously told theSunday Times, adding that the lack of a title has enabled Zara and brother “to live their own lives.”
WhenPrince Harryand Meghan were married in May 2018, the Queen gave them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Archie was entitled to the “courtesy title” of Earl of Dumbarton upon his birth. However, the couple announced that they had not given him a courtesy title and he would be known as Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Down the line, Archie could be given the secondary Sussex title, before inheriting the dukedom.
Kate and William’s three children — who are now thesecond, third, and fourthin line to the throne — went from being Princes and Princess of Cambridge to being Princes and Princess of Wales. Therefore, they are nowPrince Georgeof Wales,Princess Charlotteof Wales andPrince Louisof Wales.
However, Archie and Lili were included without new titles. They are styled as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty
During Meghan andPrince Harry’s 2021 interview withOprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex revealed there was a conversation about titles ahead of Archie’s birth.
“They were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn’t going to receive security,” Meghan said. “This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy where I was going, hold on for a second.”
Meghan went on to say she would have accepted a title for Archie if it “meant he was going to be safe.”
“And it’s not our decision to make,” she said. “Even though I have a lot of clarity of what comes with the titles good and bad…that is their birthright to then make a choice about.”
The couple relocated to California after stepping back as senior members of the royal family. They were in Europe this week for a series of visits with longstanding charities, andPrince Harrytraveled to Balmoral Castlein Scotland on Thursday, where the Queen died.
King Charles; Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Chris Jackson/Getty; Taylor Hill/WireImage
In his first speech as monarch, King Charles mentioned his younger son and daughter-in-law.
“I want also toexpress my love for Harry and Meghanas they continue to build their lives overseas,” he said.
source: people.com
